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Bathtub gondolas named after the curved shape of their interior floor are a familiar sight in North American freight consists from the 1970s onwards. This Athearn set brings together three Union Pacific units with completely different road numbers: #35044, #35058 and #35080. That means you can string them together in the same train without the eye catching any repetition, which makes a real difference once the consist starts to grow.
Three wagons, three road numbers, one more convincing train
Each gondola arrives with UP lettering and insignia reproduced through high-definition moulding, factory-applied metal handrails, detailed end ladders and an individual brake wheel. The coal load is removable, giving you the flexibility to vary the scene or run the wagons empty when the consist calls for it. The operative McHenry couplers, body-mounted, are compatible with the Kadee system, and the machined metal wheels with RP25 profile ensure smooth running on most track available on the market.
Confirmed technical data
HO scale (1:87.1). Minimum operating radius: 18 inches (45.7 cm). Recommended radius for smoother running: 22 inches (55.8 cm) or greater. All three wagons are factory-weighted to standard weight guidelines to reduce the risk of derailment. Reference ATH-1388, confirmed in the official Athearn catalogue of October 2023.
In a consist and on the layout
Lined up in a freight train, the three wagons create that sense of a long, uniform convoy that is hard to achieve when road numbers repeat. The variety of numbers means the set works equally well in motion or in a loading and classification scene. For anyone working with North American HO material who wants to strengthen their UP gondola fleet without sacrificing visual coherence, this set drops straight in with no adjustments needed.