[N Scale] Microtrains to do N&W twin hopper Runner Pack

[NW Modeling List]

--- NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org>
wrote:


> MT is doing a N&W twin hopper runner pack.

> 

>

http://www.micro-trains.com/cs-norfolk-western-runner-pack.php

> 

> I was hoping they wouldn't repeat the same mistakes

> of

> past runs on these. I've sent them considerable info

> in the past about what classes would best match

> their

> twin hoppers.

> 

> Past runs have been lettered class HL, but in the

> post

> 1951 24" N&W scheme, which is a bit of a logical

> disconnect, as the entire HL class (fishbelly BTW)

> was

> rebuilt into class H9 hoppers starting in the late

> 1940s ending in the early 1950s.

> 

> Indeed the illustrations on M-T's site indicate

> class

> HL, the 39XXX number series was built in 1939. This

> series was renumbered into a different number series

> (60000-65814) when rebuilt (to a significantly

> different appearance as shown above) in the early

> 1950s. The rebuilds of HL class hoppers started in

> 1949 and lasted into the mid 1950s. A total of

> 12,128

> HL hoppers were rebuilt into H9, totally eliminating

> the HL class by 1957.

> 

> M-T's peaked end hopper is a closer match for the

> Class H9 and Class H7 hoppers than the Class HL.

> 

> Typical Class HL Hopper (Atlas fishbelly is a good

> match) in 1930s - 1950 scheme:

> 

>

http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns1954.jpeg

> 

> H9 Hopper in 1950s - 1963 scheme:

>

http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns2107.jpeg

> 

> H7 Hopper in 1950s - 1963 scheme:

>

http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns2099.jpeg

> 

> H9 Hopper in 1963-1970 scheme:

>

http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns2105.jpeg

> 

> The sad thing in this is that Atlas already makes a

> pretty accurate model of the N&W HL Hopper (shown

> here

> in the 1930s-1951 scheme which probably is what

> nearly

> all of them wore until rebuilt in the visually

> different H9 class):

> 

> Atlas N 55T Fishbelly:

>

http://www.atlasrr.com/Images/NFreightCars/nfishbelly/41018.jpg

> 

> proto:

>

http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns1954.jpeg

> 

> Heavy credit to Andrew Dow's N&W hopper book and the

> Image Database at Virginia Tech:

> http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/index.php

> 

> Sorry for boring most of you with this - I'm a bit

> of

> a hopper nut!

> 

> And maybe next time M-T will do some research, or

> maybe I'm just nuts ... ;)

> 

> Mark Peele

> Catonsville, MD

===============================
I went back to Andrew Dow's book and re-read the
passages on the HL. Apparently "late" production of
the HL class hoppers did not have the "fishbelly"
sides, but were similar in appearance to the rebuilt
H9 class. Out of a total of 12,500 HL hoppers
produced, the first 8,500 had the "fishbelly".
Assuming the chronology in Dow's book is correct, this
would mean that the following number ranges would more
closely match the MT twin peaked:

57500 to 58749, 58750 to 59999, 67000 to 67499, 56500
to 56999, 57000 to 57499.

As the last HL hoppers were built in 1940, all of them
would have the 17" "N&W".

Mark Peele
Catonsville, MD

================================
N&W in N scale


       
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