Search:
Type the text to search here and press Enter.
Separate search terms by a space; they will all be searched individually in all fields of the database. Click on Search: to go to the advanced search page.
Classifieds Only: Check this box if you want to search classifieds instead of the catalog.
Please help support TroveStar. Why?

N Hobby Distributing - 59 - Covered Hopper, 4-Bay, ACF Centerflow - Chicago & Eastern Illinois - NHD 59

This item is not for sale. This is a reference database.
N Scale - N Hobby Distributing - 59 - Covered Hopper, 4-Bay, ACF Centerflow - Chicago & Eastern Illinois - NHD 59 Image used with permission by owner
Image used with permission by owner
Click on any image above to open the gallery with larger images.
Sell this item on TroveStar
Sell
Add a comment about this item.
It will be visible at the bottom of this page to all users.
Comment
Production TypeSpecial Run
Stock Number59
Secondary Stock NumberNHD #59
BrandN Hobby Distributing
ManufacturerAtlas Model Railroad
Body StyleAtlas Covered Hopper 4-Bay ACF 5250 (Austrian/US Version)
Prototype VehicleCovered Hopper, 4-Bay, ACF Centerflow (Details)
Road or Company NameChicago & Eastern Illinois (Details)
Reporting MarksC&EI
Road or Reporting NumberNHD 59
Paint Color(s)Light Gray
Print Color(s)Black
Coupler TypeRapido Hook
Wheel TypeNickel-Silver Plated Metal
Wheel ProfileDeep Flange
MultipackYes
Multipack Count3
Multipack ID NumberNHD #59
Item CategoryRolling Stock (Freight)
Model TypeCovered Hopper
Model Subtype4-Bay
Model VarietyACF 5250
Prototype RegionNorth America
Prototype EraNA Era IV: 2nd Gen Diesel (1958 - 1978)
Scale1/160



Specific Item Information: Only 250 sets made. Road Numbers: 718391, 718392, 718393
Model Information: This model was originally produced by Roco for Atlas and appears in the Atlas 1967 catalog labeled "Coming Soon" with three road names. They are stamped 'Atlas Austria' on the bottom. The molds seems to have been owned by Atlas as they brought them to their New Jersey factory from Europe and started US production in 1986. The new releases were stamped "Atlas USA". This later release was numbered as the 3700 series with seven road names.

These two versions can be distinguished from the later Chinese version because there is only a single ridge towards the roof on the sides of the hopper.
Prototype History:
Contemporary 2-bay covered hoppers, like ACF's Centerflows, were 100-ton cars designed to haul dense loads, like cement. Their larger 3 and 4-bay brethren, while usually still having 100 ton capacities, were designed for lighter-density loads, like grain or flour. Their sizes had to do with the fact that a low-density product like grain will "cube out" the cubic capacity of a smaller 2-bay car way before you hit the cars' tonnage rating. Conversely, load a 3 or 4-bay covered hopper to its cubic maximum with a dense product like cement, and you'll wind up with a seriously overloaded car tonnage wise. In short, keep the smaller 2-bay cars for heavy commodities, and keep the larger cars for lighter loads like grains, sugar, flour, etc.
Road Name History:
The Chicago & Eastern Illinois was formed in 1877 as a result of the reorganization of the Chicago Danville & Vincennes. By 1902 the C&EI ran south out of Chicago and split into three routes south of Danville, Illinois.

The eastern fork followed the Indiana-Illinois border (on the Indiana side) south to Evansville near the Kentucky border. At Evansville, traffic was primarily handed off to Louisville & Nashville for points in the South. This route saw the lion’s share of C&EI’s passenger business. In fact, many Chicago to Florida passenger limiteds traveled the C&EI from Chicago to Evansville. The Dixie Flagler, for instance, was routed: C&EI, Louisville & Nashville, Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis, Atlanta Birmingham & Coast, Atlantic Coast Line, and Florida East Coast to get to Miami.

The center fork passed through Salem and Mount Vernon to the southern tip of Illinois, over the Thebes Bridge to Chaffee, Missouri and friendly connections with Cotton Belt, Frisco, and MoPac. This line generated considerable coal traffic in addition to through freight from Chicago to Louisiana and East Texas. Passenger service was provided by The Meadowlark. In later years this train used ACF Motorailers and later still, Budd RDC’s.

The western fork went to St. Louis. However the line from Pana, Illinois to St. Louis was actually on trackage rights with New York Central’s “Big Four” route. Passenger service on this line ended right after WWII due to unbeatable competition from GM&O, IC, and Wabash.

Total system mileage maxed out at about 950, putting C&EI between Lackawanna and Montana Rail Link in relative size. Prior to 1933, C&EI had been controlled by Frisco, then Chesapeake & Ohio (on behalf of the Van Sweringen Brothers.) That year brought another receivership but freed them from control by other lines for more than three decades.

In the 1960s, Louisville & Nashville, Illinois Central and Missouri Pacific dueled for control of the C&EI. In 1967, a compromise was reached. MoPac took control of the C&EI and sold the Evansville line and half interest in the line from Danville to Chicago to the L&N. L&N also received portions of the C&EI diesel and freight car fleets and most of the remaining passenger equipment. The sales to L&N were completed in 1969.

The remaining C&EI diesels were painted MoPac “Jenks Blue” and received buzzsaw logos with “C&EI” within. In 1976, the C&EI was merged into the Missouri Pacific.
Brand/Importer Information: N Hobby Distributing (NHD) was based at 24 York Towne Drive, Englishtown, NJ 07726.
Manufacturer Information: 'Atlas Model Railroad' represents the New Jersey manufacturing facility for Atlas brand model railroad products. Atlas also imported European made models in their early years and those items will be noted as having manufacturers set appropriately. In the 1990s Atlas moved all their toolings to China.
Item created by: Mopjunkie on 2020-03-29 15:43:11. Last edited by gdm on 2021-01-03 18:16:10

If you see errors or missing data in this entry, please feel free to log in and edit it. Anyone with a Gmail account can log in instantly.