ACF 15-Drawer Steel Flat File — USAF/AEC Surplus Cold War Provenance

A piece of Cold War infrastructure that quietly outlived the program that ordered it. This fifteen-drawer welded-steel flat file was built by ACF (American Car and Foundry) for procurement by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and assigned to the United States Air Force — the chain of custody still legible on the cabinet itself. Two original red-and-gold ACF/AEC manufacturer plaques (P/N X52963) remain screwed to the stiles, "Property USAF" is stenciled in yellow across the side panels, and the bilingual "Unclassified / Unclassified" security labels are still affixed to the top section. A bold vertical red security stripe runs the full height of the front face — the kind of marking that told a clearance officer at a glance which cabinet held what.

The unit is built as three independent five-drawer sections that stack and separate, finished in olive-gray baked enamel with chrome roller-style pulls, recessed numbered label holders (1 through 10 on the upper banks, hand-labeled "Santa Teresa Utility," "Plats 24x36," "NM Subdivisions," and "High Country Ranch" on the lower), and dark vinyl-lined drawer interiors. Drawers are shallow 2-inch flat-file format — sized for blueprints, large-format prints, maps, original artwork, or photographic materials up to roughly 36 inches wide. Comes apart into three sections for transport. All fifteen drawers included.

The American Car and Foundry Company — better known for rolling stock and, during WWII, M3 Stuart tanks and submarines — diversified into specialty steel fabrication during the postwar industrial expansion. Atomic Energy Commission contracts of the 1950s and 1960s required secure document storage built to federal specification: welded construction, security-stripe identification, and standardized "Unclassified" / classified labeling protocols. Cabinets like this one moved blueprints, schematics, and site drawings between AEC facilities and the Air Force installations that supported the nuclear program. The USAF stenciling and AEC plaques together place this unit firmly in that procurement pipeline. After decommissioning, surplus units like this one filtered into civilian use — in this case, eventually housing subdivision plats and ranch survey drawings in southern New Mexico.

• Manufactured by ACF (American Car and Foundry)
• Atomic Energy Commission procurement, P/N X52963 (two original plaques confirmed)
• United States Air Force property markings (stenciled yellow, multiple panels)
• Original "Unclassified / Unclassified" bilingual security labels affixed to top section
• Subsequent civilian use for southern New Mexico subdivision and ranch survey documents

CONDITION

Good. All fifteen drawers slide and seat on their tracks, and chrome pulls are intact throughout. The cabinet shows scattered surface scratches, chipped paint to bare metal at corners and stile edges, tape residue on the exterior panels, and dust accumulation throughout. Concentrated oxidation and active rust are present at the locking latch mechanism between sections. Vinyl drawer liners show overall surface crazing consistent with age and use.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 51" H × 54" W × 41.5" D
• Per Section: 16.25" H
• Total Drawers: 15
• Drawer Depth: 2"
• Sections: 3 (fully separable), 5 drawers each
• Materials: Welded steel, olive-gray baked enamel
• Manufacturer: ACF (American Car and Foundry)
• AEC Part Number: X52963
• Hardware: Chrome roller-style pulls, recessed numbered label holders
• Separates into three sections for transport

Normal Pickup Limitations and Service Do Not Apply to this item. It will be picked up off-site in the area of Picacho and Shalem Colony.

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Delivery Encouraged.