Walthers Gold Line Ballast Hopper

Walthers has just announced for January 2010 delivery a 41' open ballast hopper in their Gold-Line series. It will be a three pack with road #'s 97100, 97159, and 97131. The Walthers stock # will be 932-34241 with an MSRP of $49.95. The description says that the Modeler (that's us!) will have to install the wire grab irons. YUK! I'm too spoiled!
Compared to the photo on Mike Condren's website of car # 97123 taken at Memphis on 6/5/81 this model is a dead ringer.

Bob Hoover
FriscoFriend

P.S. I will be shipping high quality white Kansas limestone from the on-line rock quarry near Severy, KS to all Frisco points East hopefully by next summer at the latest.

 

Dear Mr. Hoover
The Kansas Arkansas & Ozarks will be needing at least 3 loads for a new section of track it will be constructing. Please put us on the list of your deliveries.
Bob Wintle
President
Kansas Arkansas & Ozarks Railroad.

 

Sounds cool. I'lll have to add it to my list of "things to get"

 

Mark:

Thanks for correcting the Walthers order #. I thought I double checked it but I guess that I didn't.
Also, I'm always glad that I chose to model late 1980 because I never have to be disappointed when something new comes out!

Bob Hoover
FriscoFriend

 

While we are on the new product subject, most of the on-line pushers are now showing the Walthers 41' Ballast Hopper as being in stock.

 

I have received my ballast hoppers and alhough the lettering looks dead accurate and very sharp when compared to the picture in Molo's book I unforunately feel the car is painted the wrong color. It looks like Walthers chose a tuscan brown where the car in Molo's book looks more of a freight car red. I would welcome others opinions when they get theirs. Otherwise it is a great looking car with all of the detailed and very crisp lettering. I put it under a magnifier and could even read the instructions on how to open and close the discharge doors.

 

All the credit for the great lettering goes to Louis Griesemer who provided the official Frisco paint diagram for this car to the artists who work for Walthers. Thank you Louis Griesemer.

 

At an operating session this past Saturday with the Pittsburg MRR club in the Pittsburg mall, a member of this web site, David (1143), stopped by for a while. He had a bag full of frisco goodies, including a B&Y H10-44 with sound that I let him run using my Power cab. He also had a 3 pack of the new walthers ballast cars. So we got them put on my train and I must say they look really sharp and run good. After that I decided I really want a pack of these.

Edit: I didn't have enogh memory space on the camera to take a still, but I have a video clip with them, so I took a screen shot of it. It is blurry though.

 

No, but I have heard of a way that looks better than using a premade manufactured load, and that is to make your own. In this case take a block of pink foam that fits the car, then glue your ballast to it and presto you have a load for it.

 

Wait about three months. Walthers will have them on sale for 40% to 50% because no one purchased any

 

The one's I bought do not roll well at all. Even after using my trusty truck tuner from Micro Mark. I like the cars but not the trucks. Mine are in service but are on the list to be upgraded as time and railroad finances allow.
Bob Wintle President
Kansas Arkansas and Ozarks Railroad

 

Thanks for the warning. I do, or did intend on buying some of these when they go on sale. What seems to be the problem?

 

Mine roll fine down the Frisco Line.