AMS hopper car

1:32 scale, gauge-1 hopper car
AMS (Division of Accucraft Trains)
33260 Central Ave.
Union City CA 94587
Price: $89.40
Website: www.accucraft.com

1:32 scale, gauge 1, three-bay hopper car; plastic body; metal trucks, fully sprung; operating scale knuckle couplers; blackened wheels; non-opening hopper doors; minimum radius, 48″. Dimensions: Length, 155/8″; width, 4″; height 45/8″. This works out to 41’8″ x 10’8″ x 12’4″, respectively in 1:32 scale

Pros: Excellent representation of prototype; correct scale/gauge combination; excellent paint and graphics; high level of detail; working couplers; sprung, free-rolling Bettendorf trucks
Cons: No lifting levers on couplers

Accucraft produced this 3/8″-scale hopper to complement their C&O and Virginian 2-6-6-6 Allegheny locomotives, which pulled vast strings of similar cars. Our review sample is black, decorated for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. The prototype was one of a batch of 1,000, built in 1951 by Bethlehem Steel.

The model has a plastic body with a high level of exterior detail. The interior of the car has bracing between the bays but no rivet detail. The coal doors at the bottoms of the bays are not functional. Grabirons and piping are nicely rendered in what appears to be scale-diameter wire. Steps are cleanly molded, integral with the body. Full brake gear is included at one end of the car. All details are crisp and sharply rendered.

The car is furnished with Accucraft’s working, scale knuckle couplers. Knuckles are spring loaded and snap open with the coupling pin is lifted. No lifting levers are included.

The car rides on fully sprung, metal Bettendorf trucks. The insulated wheels are also metal and are chemically blackened to a dull, prototypical finish. Flanges appear to be about scale depth—they look right. The wheelsets are free rolling in their journal boxes. The car is available in six different road numbers.

This is a beautiful car. A long string of them would look great on any modern 1:32-scale line.