Athearn 87568 HO Scale GATC 2600 Airslide Hopper Pennsylvania PRR 44148

General American Transportation Corporation (GATX) introduced their airslide hopper in 1953. GATX subsequently manufactured around 5000 examples of the 2600 cu. ft. cars between 1953 and 1969. This car is mainly used for bulk shipment of dry, powdered or granular commodities such as sugar, flour and starch. Similar to other pressure assisted hoppers, these cars are pressurized to speed the offloading process, overcoming the tendency of many of the products carried to cake and clog the discharge shoots. These cars were used by many railroads and many are still in use today.

FEATURES:

• Fully assembled
• Separate wire grab irons and brake piping
• Separate wire roping eyes
• Detailed underbody and outlet piping
• Etched metal roofwalks and brake platform
• Machined metal wheels
• Razor-sharp printing and painting
• McHenry scale knuckle spring couplers
• Weighted for optimal performance
• Roller bearing or plain-bearing (Friction) trucks per prototype and/or era
• Various separate details (shaker brackets, outlets, etc.) to match prototypes