Open Hopper, ACF Hart Ballast, 70 Ton

History: Built by ACF® from 1940-1953, the 70-Ton Hart Ballast Cars were formally known as “Hart Selective Service Ballast Cars”, due to the use of specially-designed doors which allowed the lading to be discharged one of three ways: to the center of the rails, to the center and sides of the rails, or to the side of the rails only. Most of the western railroads used cars like this for distributing ballast. Sometimes customer's cargos were carried but mostly these cars with the hart doors were MOW service. We believe there are more door handles to be added to the model so there are handles at both ends of the doors. The MILW crews called their cars like this from the 1920s Battleships. There are examples of earlier cars with slab sides and shorter doors found on the UP and CB&Q.

Railroad/Company: ACF Industries LLC originally known as The American Car and Foundry Company and was formed in 1899. In 1955 ACF Industries, Incorporated became the new name for The American Car and Foundry. Over the years railcar manufacturing and leasing were the major forces in ACF's economic growth and stability. ACF has weathered many changes and is still committed to the manufacture of new railcar and railcar parts and sub-assemblies. ACF Industries LLC became a successor to ACF Industries, Incorporated on May 1, 2003.

ACF Industries LLC is a leader in the manufacture and fabrication of specialty railcar parts and miscellaneous steel products. While the Company's primary purpose is to compliment the new car and repair car market, it also provides manufacturing support to other manufacturers of steel products.

ACF Industries LLC is headquartered in St. Charles, Missouri and our manufacturing facility is located in Milton, Pennsylvania.

From the company website.