Tangent Scale Models HO 32063-05 Pullman-Standard 3400CuFt Quad Coal Hopper Bessemer and Lake Erie 'Conspicuity Repaint 2005+' BLE #65234

• Truck: Tangent 100-ton Barber S-2 trucks with rotating “Timken” bearing caps and separate brake beam part
• Wheels: CNC-Machined 36″ Wheels
• Era: 2005-2025

A quick synopsis of our Pullman-Standard 3400cf Quad Coal Hopper era and railroad-specific details and variations include:

• Dimensional accuracy – designed from Pullman-Standard 3400cf Quad Coal Hopper plans and verified with field measurements
• Highly correct “true to life” colors
• Industry-leading “Hyper-Accurate” lettering including exact fonts and lettering placement
• Genuine Kadee scale couplers
• “Near-scale” draft gear box with beautifully-rendered side “key” detail
• Multiple road numbers for each scheme
• Beautiful, B&LE representative “flood-style” coal load
• “See through” brake step platform
• B&LE-specific details, including correct Ajax brake wheel housing
• Beautiful details including separately-applied scale wire grab irons and coupler lift bars – no “molded on” plastic grab irons or “thick” plastic grab iron parts anywhere on this replica!
• Separate flexible rubber air hoses
• CNC-machined 36” wheels with accurate front and back detail
• Our precision Tangent Scale Models 100-ton Barber S-2 trucks with prototype-specific “Brenco-6” rotating bearing caps and separate brake beam part
• Weighted to NMRA specifications – yes, even with the coal load removed
• Recommended age 14 years and older

Prototype Information:

In 1975, the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad 'B&LE' made a significant capital investment in a new fleet of 100-ton 'quad' open hoppers, the first cars of their type, to replace older home road and foreign cars. B&LE ordered 550 cars of 3400 cubic foot capacity from Pullman-Standard’s Bessemer AL plant – which was significant not only for the size of the car order, but because Pullman’s Butler PA plant was a large online customer. B&LE had multiple coal hauling lanes, and these new cars provided stronger incentive to haul coal headed to the railroad’s Lake Erie rail-water transload docks at Conneaut, OH, plus capture more 'backhaul' of iron ore business offloaded from 'lake boats,' headed to the region’s steel producers via the B&LE. Some of the fleet received minor carbody rebuilding in the 2000s, however most of the cars still serve on B&LE/CN today.

It is important to note: These Pullman-Standard 3400 cubic foot quad coal hoppers are quite different from “Western Design” 3600 cubic foot, BSC “Eastern Design” 3350 cubic foot hoppers and IC “Centralia Quad” 3834 cubic foot coal hoppers, all offered by Tangent. That’s right, Tangent offers four different quad coal hoppers!