Bluford Shops 2-Bay Offset Side Hopper Welcome six more Frisco cars to add to the fleet courtesy of Bluford Shops! Bluford Shops new 2-bay offset side hopper features a die cast slope sheet-hopper bay-center sill assembly; injection molded plastic sides, ends and hopper doors; fully molded brake tank, valve and air lines; body mounted brake hose detail; load; body mounted magnetically operating knuckle couplers; and Fox Valley Models metal wheel. MSRP is $24.95 per car. A 2-bay hopper design with offset sides was first proposed in the 1920s and first appeared in the form seen here in 1934. The AAR adopted it as a standard design the following year. The offset design permitted greater interior capacity than a rib side car with the same outside dimensions. It was thought this more than made up for the car’s higher cost of construction. The last new 2-bay offset side hoppers were built in 1960. Frisco took delivery of this group of hoppers from Mt. Vernon Car in 1948. SLSF generated a surprising amount of coal from regions in eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and western Arkansas as well as an important deposit in northern Alabama. Much of this coal was interchanged to connecting lines for delivery to steel mills. The Frisco cars are as follows: Item 66151 – Frisco black single $24.95 Item 66152 – Frisco black 2-pack $49.90 Item 66153 – Frisco black 3-pack $74.85 Pre-Orders are open through June 26, 2017 and delivery expected in early 2018. Continue reading...
