ATH-2717 - Athearn CarKnocker HO Deformed 2494 RailGon Gondola Primed For Grime - Railgon - Factory Lettering GONX #310002 - Single Car

This is a Pre-order

Price of $46.95 will be invoiced when product arrives at The Train Exchange.

INTRODUCING THE CARKNOCKER LINE

A brand-new product line and a brand-new approach to realistic modeling;
Athearn® CarKnocker introduces a factory produced distressed and worn
plastic model. Based on the popularity of Athearn’s Primed for Grime® line of
pre-faded and dirtied paint decoration, Athearn has taken this concept one step
further by creating deformed and dented models that retain Athearn’s operating
performance standards. More exciting models are coming to the industry
leading Athearn CarKnocker product line.

All Road Names

PROTOTYPE HISTORY:
In the late 1970s, the dire condition of many railroads’ gondola fleet was
becoming apparent. Freight cars from the ‘40s and ‘50s were failing
under the heavier loads and rough handling the gondolas typically
endured. The TTX corporation stepped in to produce a system-wide
pooled gondola service, ordering a fleet of 4000 new gondolas to be
produces by five manufacturers. While the Athearn model is based
on the Thrall-built version, all five are visually similar except for small
details that require a trained eye to spot. Designers had identified the
weaknesses of earlier gondola design, adding reinforced top cords with
bolted corners, additional plate steel reinforcement to the ends, and
bolting the exterior posts to the floor instead of welding; all features that
allowed the gondolas to sustain rougher handling…and they needed it.
The new paint smell didn’t last long. While other freight cars that looked
the way these gondolas did would be retired, the engineers had done
a commendable job at keeping these cars safe to operate even in a
deformed condition. At over 40 years old, these cars are still circulating
on railroads today, beaten, patched, dirtied, but not forgotten.

MODEL FEATURES:
• Deformed body; hog-backed and bowed representing real-life abuse.
Very few right angles exist on the model
• Bulged and dented body panels on the inside and out
• While the body and interior are bent, the trucks and couplers remain
straight and true to NMRA standards.
• Improved and additional underbody details Athearn hasn’t offered on
the standard version of this gondola; brake rigging, air lines, and control
systems can all be seen hanging below the gondola with separately
applied details
• Etched brake wheel platform
• Separately applied bent wire grab irons, brake housing, and end
reinforcement
• Weighted for trouble-free operation
• Body-mounted McHenry operating scale knuckle couplers
• Machined metal wheels and RP25 contours operate on all popular
brands of track
• Weighted for optimum performance
• Minimum radius: 18” — Recommended radius: 22”

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE
• Duplicated look and feel of “In Service” equipment
• Faded base colors matched to the prototype
• Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust

CAR KNOCKER MODELS FEATURE
• Tooling specifically created to capture realistic visual
imperfection in everyday railroading
• Deformed body panels, bent underframes, uneven surfaces /
damage as appropriate
• While the body and interior are deformed, the trucks and
couplers remain straight and true to NMRA standards