Need to know what covered hoppers from the 1930's to early 40's are available RTR of better quality. like Intermountain quality with separate grabs etc.
Bowser makes some nice 2-bay covered hoppers but I believe they are more from the mid-40's on.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I was going to make the same suggestion that Tom did. The Bowser is a pretty good representation of an A.C.F. 70 tonner and their kits are a pleasure to build:
http://bowser-trains.com/history/70tcoveredinstock.html
I have some photos of some AAR class LO covered hoppers with a build date of 1938 but I can not say for sure when the first ones came about. Tom is correct that much of the bulk dry goods were shipped in barrels and sacks back then.
The Bowser PRR H-30 is also a very well done model of that specific prototype:
http://bowser-trains.com/history/h30instock.html
Hope that helps, Ed
Keep in mind the LOs were few and far between before WWII. Those that werre around tended to be built in small numbers to relatively unique designs. One example is that among the roughly 10,000 cars that GACX/GATX listed in the 1944 ORER, only around 200 were classified as LO.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
The Bowser don't seem to have the individual grabs unless I missed it in their RTR. Also the Bowser appear to be of a later design. I only need a couple as I like varity on my pike, found some Intermountain 1940 design ones but thought there might be more out there. I do have some Kato RTR (someone else built them) in a 1930's design but they are not as detailed as I would like, though a good stand in for now.
rrebellAlso the Bowser appear to be of a later design.
This is the 1936 design and the Bowser looks like a pretty good representation of it. As Mike points out, these cars were pretty scarce until the early 1950s.
The above ad is from 1940. NKP 99749 has a build date of 8-39.
Good Luck, Ed
I think the Bowser PRR H30 was introduced in the 1930's.
The ACF 70 ton 1958 cu. ft. car made by Bowser, Kato, and Intermountain was introduced in the 1930's, but gained its greatest popularity later.
Funaro & Camerlengo makes resin kits for the 1790 cu. ft. car used by several roads, plus the PRR's very early GLe covered hopper, plus a small Erie car and a NYC proprietary design. I believe all but the NYC car originated in the 1930's.
By the way, these cars were originally considered cement cars. Gradually they were used for other commodities such as sand and various powdered chemicals. Use of covered hoppers for grain was either unknown or rare until the late 1950's.
I think F&C also makes a kit for a specialized hopper for Carbon Black, and I think that design originated in the 1930's.
I wrote all of this from memory, so you can use the info as a general guide, but you shouldn't consider it authoritative.
rrebell,
I can post pictures of a Bowser L&N covered hopper I have (BLT: 2-43) tomorrow when I get back home.
PRR H30 Covered Hoppers
http://prr.railfan.net/freight/classpage.html?class=H30
They were converted by the railroad from coal cars
http://www.riverraisinmodels.com/libraryData/prrh30h32.pdf
Bowser H30 covered hoppers:
http://www.bowser-trains.com/history/h30instock.html
Bowser 70-ton covered hoppers:
http://www.bowser-trains.com/history/70tcoveredinstock.html
Model based on PRR H23 Covered Hopper were made by Varney. While crude by todays standards might be worth considering. Some available on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.TRS0&_nkw=varney+covered+hopper&_sacat=220
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Well, that saves me some work. Thanks for that link, Bear!
BTW, the L&N covered hopper I have has "step" grab irons vs. the uniform grabirons on the Pennsy versions found in Bear's link. Maybe I'll post a pic anyhow - just for edification purposes.
Of course the only thing mentioend so far that meet's the OP's requirement of RTR is the Bowser H30. The very excellent kadee covererd hoppers are one of the few other highly detailed RTR covered hoppers but are much too new.
Covered hoppers were somewhat slow to gain acceptence - mainly because they were more or less single purpose cars. Even things like cement were mostly bagged and shipped in box cars. The same car could handle crates of radios on the way back, and then bags of feed on the next trip. The first 3 classes of covered hoppers on the Reading were all built by the railroad by adding a roof to older open coal hoppers. I have a few in production, scratchbuilding a roof to fit some approriate Accurail open hoppers. That's the only way to get these early cars. Not even kits are available for these.
Without kits, you are going to mostly be out of luck - several have been mentioned as options for something that's not strictly a PRR car like the H30, but they are all kits.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
The Bowser version of Pennsy's H-30 is the only r-t-r car that I've put on my layout which didn't require additional detail work or tweaking for proper operation - a little weathering and that was it:
I'm modelling the late '30s, and have quite a few covered hoppers, mainly for this industry:
Most are the Bowser ACF car referred to by other posters:
I also have a number of MDC covered hoppers - they're too modern for my era, but I'll be backdating and re-detailing them
I know that you're asking for r-t-r cars, but I wanted some cars from an even earlier era, so scratchbuilt four of these "convertible" boxcars - standard 36' boxcars with roof hatches and longitudinal hoppers:
Tichy offers their USRA single sheathed 40' boxcar with roof hatches and underfloor hoppers, but in kit form only.
The Rail Shop makes a very nice '30s-era carbon black covered hopper, but I'd classify it as a craftsman-type kit:
Wayne
The Varney "PRR H23" mentioned above is a twin hopper with a roof, and it represents a car that may have never existed. PRR's H30's were not rebuilt from coal hoppers. They were built new. One PRR H21 four bay hopper was converted into the unique covered hopper class H21d number 254250. They also had a small group (for PRR) of over 200 class GLb coal hoppers that were rebuilt into GLe two bay covered hoppers.
In my earlier post, I forgot to mention F&C's B&O N-34 wagon top covered hopper kit, which represents a car first introduced in the late 1930's.
B&O was another road that applied hatches and floor openings to USRA single sheath boxcars, turning them into a sort of covered hopper.
I realize most of my suggestions have been kits, but the simple fact is that kits are the only way to get there unless you're talking about buying brass models, which often require painting, decaling, and usually some tweaking. If you don't feel up to building these kits, you might want to think about paying somebody to build them for you. You wouldn't be the first one to do that.
(edited)
rrinkerOf course the only thing mentioend so far that meet's the OP's requirement of RTR
Some of the Bowser cars are "Executive" line. They are RTR.
Ed
gmpullman rrinker Of course the only thing mentioend so far that meet's the OP's requirement of RTR Some of the Bowser cars are "Executive" line. They are RTR. Ed
rrinker Of course the only thing mentioend so far that meet's the OP's requirement of RTR
Oh, by the way I forgot to say thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
rrebellJust on a personal note some of this naming of lines and changing of naming of lines sometimes gets me confused,
You can say that again!
Gold; Silver; Trainline; Proto; Mainline; Master; add to that, BlueBox (Life-Like OR Athearn) Classic; Retro; and the ever popular...
Superheterodyne!
When Soundtraxx came up with the Econammi I thought then there's WOWsound?
Gotta love Marketing!
"Railway Prototype Cyclopedia" did a 3-part 249 page study of the ACF designed 1958 cuft covered hopper. The first cars were delivered in 1937.
Below are the private owners of the cars that have build dates earlier than 1943:
GACX, HWCX, ILDX, SHPX
Below are the railroads that owned the cars that have build dates earlier than 1943:
ACL, ACY, BS, ATSF, CG, CIL, CNW, C&O, CRR, CSS, DMIR, DT&I, ERIE, GN, IC, KCS, L&N, M&STL, MILW, M-I, NC&STL, NKP, NP, PM, RI, SAL, SOO, SOU, VGN, WAB
Some of the above also bought cars 1943 and later. The cars were built until 1952. And some railroads bought only after 1943.
I believe Kato, Bowser, and Intermountain all do models of this car. The Intermountain is probably the best.
The Kato car is actually a GATC bersion of the ACF Car.
If the can be found (usually on E-Bay) E&B Valley (Eastern Car Works) makes a flat kit of the ACF Car with finer grabs than the other cast kits.
This is an E&B Valley kit, but I replaced the cast roofwalk with a Plano replacement, painted with scalecoat II gray and lettered with Highball Graphics decals.
Rick J
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
[quote user="ACY"]
Thankyou for the corrections regarding the H30.
Somewhere I have read that the Varney cars are pretty close in apperance to some converted open top cars but I do not know if that is correct..
MEC had some covered hoppers for cement service with the square hatches that were built around 1915. The ones with the round hatches are Airslides that started coming into service in the early 50s.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Well I bought 5 of the Intermountain in Union Pacific, 1940 on e-bay, almost got the whole set of 6 but got outbid on one, suits me as I only needed 3 to keep the right ratio of cars but the price was right.
rrebellWell I bought 5 of the Intermountain in Union Pacific, 1940.....
Like these ones?
http://www.intermountain-railway.com/ho/html/48606.htm
Cheers, the Bear
Hi,
When I was building up my roster of HO Pre 1960 RR cars, finding covered hoppers for the early years was quite difficult. I eventually got quite a few, mostly ATSF and IC - but none were RTR.
The most difficult find was the 3 car ATSF set put out by Kato, which I eventually got off Ebay. They are kits too.
I realize that a number of MRs don't care to build RR car kits, but I would urge you to give it a try. Worst case would be "you could not do it". Best case would be a RR car you would be especially proud to show off.
In any case, I suggest you make it a routine to search Ebay every few days. It may take awhile, but sooner or later something that works for you will show up.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
rrebell Well I bought 5 of the Intermountain in Union Pacific, 1940..... Like these ones? http://www.intermountain-railway.com/ho/html/48606.htm Cheers, the Bear
rrebell Well I bought 5 of the Intermountain in Union Pacific, 1940.....
mobilman44 Hi, When I was building up my roster of HO Pre 1960 RR cars, finding covered hoppers for the early years was quite difficult. I eventually got quite a few, mostly ATSF and IC - but none were RTR. The most difficult find was the 3 car ATSF set put out by Kato, which I eventually got off Ebay. They are kits too. I realize that a number of MRs don't care to build RR car kits, but I would urge you to give it a try. Worst case would be "you could not do it". Best case would be a RR car you would be especially proud to show off. In any case, I suggest you make it a routine to search Ebay every few days. It may take awhile, but sooner or later something that works for you will show up.
Some years ago, I was especially happy to pick up a 3 pack of Kato's GN covered hoppers. There wasn't much else out there (as noted in quote). When, more recently, the better detailed Intermountain GN covered hoppers showed up at my house, I was also happy to sell those same Katos. To a guy who was happy to buy them. At a lower price.
Lotta happiness, there.
Got a set of Katos that I bought RTR built by someone else, those will proubly go too.
The Kato ones barely classify as kits. You don't even need glue. And they are tough, I had one fall to the cement floor and become a kit again. Once I found all tthe pieces, just put it back together, nothing was actually broken. All that was missing was one knuckle spring in one of the Kadees I put in it.