Tangent Scale Models is pleased to announce the availability today of new paint schemes for our HO Scale General American 4180 “Airslide” covered hopper. First released by Tangent in 2015, our GATC 4180 Airslide covered hopper continues our industry-leading focus on beautiful detailing, consistent colors and stenciling, excellent operating abilities, and phase detailing.
As a bonus, these GATC 4180 Airslides now come equipped with our New 100-Ton Barber S-2 Roller Bearing Truck with rotating caps and separate brake beam detail!
Our March 2020 production of General American 4180 covered hoppers includes EIGHT RTR railroad paint schemes, plus Undecorated options.
Check them out now by clicking here!
Boston & Maine B&M “Prince Spaghetti 1984” replicates one of the most famous GATC 4180 paint schemes ever applied to these cars. Boston & Maine took one of its gray airslides and painted it for Prince Spaghetti in Lowell MA, including the iconic “Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day” slogan. This colorful model features correct phase details for a 1977-built car, including a low mounted brake stand, wide side posts and wide Morton running board. We first produced this car in 2019, and it sold out so fast that we promised a rerun for those who missed it. This car is available in one number, just like the prototype. Fun fact: Equipped with our new 100-Ton barber S-2 Roller Bearing truck, this car now has the prototypically correct Brenco-6 rotating caps!
Chicago Burlington & Quincy CB&Q “Original 1-1966” replicates the Q’s third and largest order of 4180 Airslides. This group of 50 cars was painted in beautiful CB&Q gray with a separate logo panel bolted to the ribs for touch of class. This group has the appropriate phase details for a 1966 built car, including high mounted brake appliances and Apex running boards. The new Tangent 100-Ton Barber S-2 roller bearing trucks feature correct truck-mounted brake beams and Timken rotating caps, too. This scheme is available in 4 accurate numbers!
Chicago & North Western C&NW “Zito Repaint 1983” stands out among this release as only a Zito yellow car could! This scheme is an example of CNW shops 1983-era repaints of a 1967-built class of cars. Notice the low brake appliances on the end of the car, along with other accurate details like the Apex running board, body-brake truck bake beams and Timken roller bearing caps. We get asked for this scheme a lot, and we are pleased to offer such eye-catching paint for 1983+ modelers. This Zito repaint is available in 2 accurate numbers.
Great Northern GN “Original 3-1968” shows off Rocky and the GN “Big Sky Blue” paint scheme. Delivered in March of 1968, these cars feature low brake details on the B-End, and an Apex running board. This paint job is full of accurate little details like GATC hatch-center stencils, detailed Enamel liner application notes and even the bolted snubber badge on the lower sill. Of course, the model has the appropriate body-brake truck brake beams and Timken roller bearing caps. This scheme is available in four numbers, and check out the prototype photo right on our product page!
Louisville & Nashville L&N “Original 11-66” rolls in with another tip of our cap to the L&N modelers out there. While the L&N has a half-dozen small orders of 4180 cars, we picked the 1971 order, with its gray body and black underframe, originally assigned to sugar loading. Low mounted brake details are featured on this series, along with an Apex running board and Brenco 6-sided roller bearing caps. All that beautiful L&N lettering is present and accurately rendered on the model including the smallest Polyclutch liner trust data and road-number specific car assignment stencils! Cars 202000, 202006 and 202007 feature an accurate L&N return stencil to New Orleans, Louisiana, while cars 202011, 202012 and 202014 have an accurate return stencil to IC RR at Reserve, Louisiana. This sharp scheme is available in six numbers!
ROCK “Original 1975” matches the 25-car order built by General American in 1975. There’s nothing like a little bit of ROCK blue to remind you it is 1975! Correct phase details are present in this car including low mounted brake stand, a later body with wide side posts and an Apex running board. Of course, every single piece of data on the sides of the car is accurately replicated. Yes, ALL of it. And don’t forget to check out those beautiful Brenco 6-sided roller bearing caps! This scheme is available in three numbers, with a prototype photo right on our product page!
NAHX “Ex-ROCK 1980+” offers a post-ROCK look at this car series. This model shows an example of a car picked up by North American Car Company as part of their lease fleet and patched appropriately. This “bandit” look is complete with big light blue patches masking out the ROCK graphics along with the application of a tiny two inch new lessee stencil for Great Western Sugar Company. This car is available in one prototypically accurate number. Take a look at the prototype photo right on our product page!
GACX “Multifoods 1974” gives modelers a beautiful 1970s GACX leased car option. International Multifoods (renamed from International Milling in 1970) leased a group of cars from GATX in June 1974. This scheme is classic 1970s, with the light blue logo and distinctive black lettering across the sides of the car. Correct phase details are present including low mounted brake details, a later body with wide side posts, and an Apex running board. Check out those light gray trucks, as delivered, with rotating Timken roller bearing caps! This scheme is available in two accurate numbers.
Don’t forget our Undecorated options, continuing our support of modelers everywhere who enjoy building, painting and lettering their own cars:
-Undecorated Primer Gray RTR 1965-1966 (High bake wheel details, early hat-section ribs)
-Undecorated Primer Gray RTR 1966-1968 (Low brake wheel details, early hat-section ribs)
-Undecorated Primer Gray RTR 1970-1980 (Low brake wheel details, Later square post ribs)
Tangent GATC 4180 Airslide RTR undecorated cars feature fully assembled cars, painted light gray, with Tangent’s new 100-Ton Barber S-2 roller bearing truck with Timken rotating caps, CNC 36” wheels, and Kadee couplers: You add your own paint and/or decals to make a unique build.
-Undecorated KIT 1965-1966 (High bake wheel details, early hat-section ribs)
-Undecorated KIT 1966-1968 (Low brake wheel details, early hat-section ribs)
-Undecorated KIT 1970-1980 (Low brake wheel details, Later square post ribs)
Tangent GATC 4180 Airslide Undecorated Kits feature unassembled and unpainted parts, and include weights and Tangent’s new 100-Ton Barber S-2 roller bearing truck with Timken rotating caps and CNC 36” wheels. You supply your favorite couplers! Are you ready to build your own masterpiece?
The Tangent Scale Models GATC 4180s are shipping NOW.
See https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/general-american-4180-airslide-covered-hopper/ for photos and more.
Features for our replicas include:
– Dimensional accuracy – designed from actual General American plans and verified with field measurements
– Highly correct “true to life” colors
– “Hyper-Accurate” lettering including exact fonts and lettering placement
– Genuine Kadee® scale couplers
– “Near-scale” draft gear box with beautifully-rendered side “key” detail
– Multiple road numbers for each scheme where appropriate
– “See through” etched metal running boards
– A series of various spotting variations that replicate cars from General American’s prolific 1965-1980 production period, including different roofs, running boards, body side post (“rib”) profiles, high and low brake arrangements on the B end, different ladder and grab iron arrangements, with or without crossover platforms and handrails, etc. Sell off the toy trains and save your time – we do freight cars right.
– Lacy details installed and painted – wire grab irons and coupler lift bars
– Separate air hoses
– Tangent Scale Models All-New 100-Ton Barber S-2 roller bearing trucks, with accurate rotating caps and CNC-machined 36” wheels. (Semi-scale wheels also available separately!)
– Recommended age 14 years and older
Do not miss out on the Tangent Scale Models General American 4180 Airslide covered hopper, one of the most sought-after freight cars from the turbulent 1960s-1970s period, done right with phase variations! Pricing for RTR replicas is $44.95.
Thank you for continuing to support Tangent Scale Models, a family-owned and operated company!
David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models
“Unparalleled scale replicas for discriminating railroad modelers”