ACF PD3500 Flexi Flo Covered Hopper 6-Pack - Ready to Run -- Penn Central (1968 Ex-NYC Patched; gray, black; Small Logo)

The Rapido Trains N Scale ACF PD3500 Flexi Flo Covered Hopper is based on cars built between August 1964 and June 1966 by American Car & Foundry (ACF). This unique covered hopper was an early innovator in pressure differential unloading and a marketing masterclass thanks to the |Flexi Flo} tag coined by the car's biggest customer, the New York Central railroad. Other than seven cars built for Shippers Car Line (SHPX), a subsidiary of ACF, the NYC was the only purchaser of the PD3500. They made up for it in quantities, with a total of 220 cars rolling off the Milton, Pennsylvania, production line over three subtly different batches. Through the Penn Central years, plenty made it through with their full NYC paint continuing to be exposed to the elements with nothing more than reporting mark and number patches. The Conrail era meant many cars were repatched again, making them rolling billboards in northeastern railroad history! Many others were fully repainted, with Conrail applying at