Coal. Black Diamonds.
This important commodity is best transported across the country by rail. That’s where the AutoFlood III rapid discharge hopper car enters the conversation.
Production began on these all-aluminum body railcars in 2004. What followed was thousands of orders for these rapid discharge hoppers, which have traversed almost all of North America. With millions of tons of coal per year being mined and hauled out of various locations across the continent, you would be hard pressed to not have seen one of these prototype cars in a modern day coal train.
This 4200 cubic foot, exterior post prototype (not to be confused with other types of prototype exterior-post or interior post models) is primarily used as a rapid discharge car, which can unload their cargo in a matter of seconds via the bottom bay doors. However, the car can also be equipped with a rotary coupler at the A end of the car (or on both ends on double-rotary cars), as indicated by the color blocks on the cars’ ends, for either bottom discharge or rotary unloading based on the infrastructure at the final processing facility.
The Rapido Trains N scale AutoFlood III Rapid Discharge Coal Hopper features:
Die-cast frame and floor for optimum car weight
Full interior rivet and K-member details
Super-detailed end cages including air and brake piping
Barber S-2 100-ton Trucks with metal wheels
Hopper bays feature highly-detailed outlet gates
Separately applied end cross-over platforms
Separately applied uncoupling levers
Accurate paint and lettering
Removable coal load included
