Description
Pre-Order Due Date: Dec 15 2025
Most manufacturers give a Pre Order ETA which can be seen near the 'add to cart' button. They also give a due date which is indicative of when the product is expected to go into production.
Please note that the software forces us to leave the "In Stock" banner up for the product to be orderable. Any pre order that says "In Stock" is not actually in stock, as denoted by the bigger "PRE-ORDER" banner.
There is a 5% NON-refundable deposit for preorders, this amount will be deducted from the price of the product when it arrives. You will see how much downpayment is required after adding the item to your cart.
For any pre-order submitted after the due date, we will try our best to fulfill your order, but are at the mercy of the manufacturer and if they produce more than were preordered by their dealers.
Pre-Orders will show a 0 shipping cost now, and shipping will be included on your invoice at time of product arrival.
When the product(s) are available to ship, you will receive an invoice via email and text through Intuit QuickBooks for the remaining 95%. Message and data rates may apply.
Please note that Estimated Arrival Dates can change at any point. Midwest Model Railroad is not responsible for manufacturers delaying production.
_______________
Please note these are early hand-painted and decaled pre-production samples.
The use of blimps by the US Navy and Air Corps began prominently during World War I. At that time, these airships were filled with hydrogen, a flammable gas that was easily extractable. This ultimately led to the adoption of helium, which was sourced from gas fields in Texas, Oklahoma, and Southern Kansas. Helium tank cars could be seen across the country, including states like California, Massachusetts, Florida, and New Jersey.
American Car & Foundry produced the fourth, fifth, and seventh generations of helium cars, building a total of 120 cars between February 1955 and September 1961. Each of these 100-ton cars contained 30 individual high-pressure tanks, which could be filled and emptied from the end cabinets. Remarkably, a single car could fill more than two L Class blimps. During the space race, NASA regularly utilized these cars with many remaining in service for the duration of the shuttle program through 2011. In fact, there are photos showing these cars being towed around NASA’s Cape Canaveral site, both on their property and coming off interchange with the Florida East Coast. Neat!
Due to their robust construction and specialized purpose, these cars had an exceptionally long service life. By 1998, all cars had either been retired from rail service or scrapped, with only a few being preserved today.
NEW SCHEMES ADDED*
The Rapido Trains HO scale ACF Helium Car features:
- Newly tooled from original blueprints and measurements
- Highly detailed underbody and piping
- Separate grab irons
- Stainless metal roofwalk
- Semi-scale metal knuckle couplers
- Free-rolling trucks with profiled metal wheelsets
- Available as single car or six-packs unless noted
- Suggested minimum radius: 18”
Please note these are early hand-painted and decaled pre-production samples.
Details
Scale: |
HO Scale |
Road Name: |
Bureau of Mines (MHAX) |
Road Number: |
1118 |
