American Limited - 8400 - Passenger Car, Heavyweight

Specific Item Information: N Diaphragms for Heavyweight Cars, 2 car set (black).
For ConCor/Rivarossi Heavyweight cars, with MicroTrains® #1129 Couplers.
Kits have instructions to help install the diaphragms on any appropriate car.

Prototype History: Heavyweight Passenger Cars were the prevalent style of railcars used for passenger service during the interwar period. They were constructed of concrete, wood and steel. The floor was often of poured concrete, which helped give these cars a smoother ride than older wooden-body cars. Also, because of their heavy construction, they were also much less likely to "telescope" when a collision occurred. They were much heavier than modern passenger cars due to the materials used in their construction. They were so heavy that they often (but not always) required three-axle bogies to support them.

Heavyweights frequently had what is called a clerestory roof. The center of the roof was higher than the sides, in that it was stepped up. The lightweight cars had smooth, rounded roofs. Heavyweight passenger cars typically weigh around 1 ton per foot of length. So a 85' car weighs in the area of 85 tons for a heavyweight car.

From Wikipedia

Road Name History: No applicable company.

Brand/Importer Information: American Limited Models, a division of San Juan Car Company, Inc. is owned and directed by Bob Staat, member of the Model Railroad Hall of Fame, and John Engstrom, former marketing director of a major model railroad manufacturer.