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; however, after 1969, the demand for them diminished significantly, leading to the closure of the Amarillo plant the following year. 

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.

    The Rapido Trains HO scale ACF Helium Car features:

• Newly tooled from original blueprints and measurements
• Full underbody detail and piping
• Separate metal grab irons
• Stainless steel metal roofwalk
• Highly detailed underframe
• Semi-scale metal knuckle couplers
• Free-rolling trucks with profiled metal wheelsets
• Available as single car or six-packs unless noted

              Order Deadline: April 15th, 2025

Please note these are early hand-painted and decaled pre-production samples.