The Athearn RND88183 is an outstanding HO scale model of a 40-foot 4-bay offset hopper. This 3-pack set from PCCX Peabody offers great value. The model features a separately applied brake wheel, 33” machined metal wheels with RP25 contours, and either 50-ton Bettendorf or 70-ton Roller Bearing trucks. It comes with body-mounted McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers, is weighted for top performance, and has a highly detailed, injection-molded body. The realistic decoration is achieved through painting and printing. With a minimum radius of 18”, it's suitable for various layouts. Open hopper cars like this are used for commodities such as coal. They have opening doors on the underside or sides to discharge cargo, and this 4-bay design can unload faster than earlier 2-bay models.

Using this hopper car model is easy. Just place it on your HO scale model train track. You can couple it with other cars using the body-mounted McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers. When it comes to running it, since it's weighted for optimum performance, it should move smoothly on the track. As for the minimum radius of 18”, make sure your track layout has curves that meet this requirement. For maintenance, keep it clean. You can use a soft brush to remove dust from the body and wheels. Avoid getting the model wet as it may damage the painted and printed decoration. Store it in a dry place when not in use to keep it in good condition.