Offset side 70 ton 3-bay hoppers first appeared in the late 1920s but by the late 30s they had evolved into the AAR standard design seen here. They were built in large quantities by many builders until the mid-1960s. Many remained in service into the 1990s.

   The Chicago & Illinois Midland was a busy, 121 mile coal hauler in the Peoria, Springfield, and Taylorville areas of central Illinois. Coal loaded at online mines was moved to river docks at Havannah, Illinois or to connecting lines including Wabash, B&O, IC, GM&O, C&NW, RI, CB&Q, M&St.L, PRR, TP&W and Nickel Plate. This was a big time operation in a small package. Mile long freights pulled by handsome 2-10-2’s (with spiffy red stripes and diamond logos on the tenders) were the norm. Today this line is called the Illinois & Midland and is part of the Genessee & Wyoming family of shortlines 

Features: 

► Friction bearing or roller bearing trucks as appropriate for each road name
► Fully molded air tank and valve with piping, slope sheet braces
► Body mounted brake hose detail
► Separate brake cylinder, rod and lever detail (a first on an N scale open hopper!)
► Body mounted magnetically operating couplers
► Coal load
► Diecast slope sheets and center sill
   and injection molded plastic sides, ends and hopper doors

All runs will be available in multiple road numbers (a single and one of each of the multi-packs gives you one of each road number available.)

Reserve Before February 25,2011 

 Delivery Expected June 2011