Atlas Model Railroad 50006608 N Scale Southern 70 Ton Hart Ballast Car 993627

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.

Features:

• Die Cast Chassis
• 70-ton friction bearing trucks
• Accumate® offset shank coupler
• Fully detailed interior, including cross-bracing and side stiffeners
• Accurate painting and printing

History

The 70-Ton Hart Ballast Car is a type of specialized railroad freight car designed for transporting and distributing ballast (crushed stone or gravel) along railway tracks. These cars were commonly used by railroads for track maintenance and construction projects.

Key Specifications:

• Manufacturer: Various builders, including Hart Convertible (a division of Evans)

• Capacity: 70 tons (140,000 lbs) of ballast

• Length: Typically 35–45 feet

• Car Type: Hopper (open-top, gravity-dump design)

• Dumping Mechanism: Bottom-discharge doors for controlled ballast spreading

• Wheel Arrangement: Two 4-wheel trucks (B-B configuration)

• Construction Material: Steel

Notable Features:

? Gravity Dump Doors: Allows ballast to be precisely placed along the track.
? Controlled Ballast Spreading: Used for maintenance-of-way (MOW) operations.
? Rugged & Durable Design: Built to handle repeated loading and unloading of heavy materials.
? Some Models Were Convertible: Certain Hart ballast cars could be used as standard hoppers when not in MOW service.

Common Operators:

• Major Class I Railroads (such as BNSF, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, and CSX)

• Short Line & Regional Railroads (for track upgrades and repairs)

• Railroad Contractors (companies specializing in track construction and maintenance)

Many 70-ton Hart ballast cars were later replaced by larger-capacity models (such as 100-ton versions), but some are still in use on short lines and smaller railroads.

Would you like details on a specific railroad’s ballast car fleet? ??