This item might be of interest to steam-to-diesel era modelers. Accurail has released it's Offset side twin hopper in a Frisco paint scheme. Though the paint scheme matches the prototype, the model itself is not particularly accurate. The Frisco originals had peaked, rather than flat ends and used Enterprise Type "D" door locks. Still, nobody out there makes an accurate model of the Frisco type of this car, and it would add another variety to a long string of Athearn and Atlas cars. The part number is 7708. http://www.accurail.com/accurail/ART/7700/7708.jpg Rich
I'm a little confused. I just saw a picture in the random attachments board that was of the exact same hopper that Accurail made, and it didn't show the raised ends that you were talking about. I didn't think to copy it here, but I don't see how they are the same. Maybe someone else can comment here.
The Frisco did have offset side 2-bay hoppers with both straight and peaked ends. The Accurail model looks to be in the same paint scheme as was SLSF 91223 which I photographed in Rolla around 1963/64. Rich is correct about the Frisco's use of Enterprise door locks, which never seem to be on any of the models offered. See my pic of 91223 in the hopper car section of the frisco.org library. Ken
My reference is an article in Railway Prototype Cyclopedia 1 entitled "1935 50/60Ton AAR Two-Bay Offset Hopper - Part One, Circa 1934-1960" by Ed Hawkins. The caption under the photograph of the Frisco hopper on page 92 reads "SL-SF 90249, series 90000-90499, built by Pullman-Standard in July 1948. This series is unique to the Frisco as the only series having the notched angular heap shields. All others had flat ends." According to the table on page 96, there were 5 additional lots of this type of car with numbers ranging from 90500 to 92899. Rich
I picked up one of the Accurail #7708 Frisco offset side two-bay hopper cars from Walthers - done as SLSF 90367. Nice car, though as Rich has already noted, it is numbered incorrectly. The SLSF 90000-90499 series of two-bay offset hopper cars had peaked ends. The Accurail car has flat ends, as most of the other Frisco two-bay's had. One wonders why Accurail picked this number series instead of several others that had flat ends. SLSF 90500-90799 would have been a better choice. Perhaps the Accurail renumbering decals will allow an easy fix to the car numbers. The Frisco cars also used Enterprise door locks, which none of the popular hopper car models have. The decoration is very good, as it always is with Accurail. This car comes with the all white coonskin. Nice, as the other red oxide Frisco two-bays all have a black & white coonskin. I do have a problem with Accurail's red oxide color, though - it is too brownish for me. But, since I have about a dozen or so Accurail cars in this color, I guess I'll have to live with it! The Frisco cars also used the ASF A3 Ride Control truck, while this car comes with Accurail's generic truck which is closer to a Barber S2 (still a very nice looking truck). If you need any more Frisco two-bays, take a look at this one. I haven't built it yet, but it looks like it goes together "Accurail easy". One set of the renumbering decals will renumber several cars. Ken
