Rapido Trains will add two styles of Canadian-prototype barrel-style ore hoppers to its collection of high quality HO-scale rolling stock. The interesting and unique ore hoppers came from National Steel Car (NSC) in the late 1960s and mid-1970s in three groups. The enclosed design (versus the more common open hopper for hauling iron-ore pellets) kept the cargo from become damp and/or freezing, an issue that presented challenges during unloading.
ABOVE: The short barrel ore hopper (left) arrived in the late 1960s. The longer version (right) came in 1973 with a second batch from National Steel Car in 1975.
NSC built a 35-foot version of this barrel ore hopper in 1967, followed in 1973 and 1975 by two productions of a longer wheelbase (42 foot) version. The pair of tires located on the center of the roofline contacted with a “scroll” during unloading that cranked the hatches open. These ore hoppers saw use in northern Ontario serving mines owned by Dofasco.
Rapido Trains will release the short and long carbody with super detailed replicas possessing underbody features, air and brake piping, accurate gates, see-through platforms, separate grab irons, coupler cut levers, and hoses. The ore hoppers will ride on Barber S-2 100-ton truck sideframes fitted with 36-inch metal wheels. The fully assembled ore hoppers will come with Kadee 158 scale-head metal knuckle couplers. The first production will present Canadian National (CN) short and long examples decorated in Mineral Brown with white lettering featuring the road’s famous “wet noodle” emblem. A red/orange hue CN scale test car livery will be produced for the short-barrel model. In addition to CN, Rapido Trains will offer Ontario Northland’s green livery with white lettering on short-barrel cars and blue with yellow ends Chevron-logo livery on long-barrel hoppers. Multiple road numbers will be available for all road names.
The models will be sold in single hopper car release and sets of six (except for the CN scale test car, which will be offered in single car and three-car sets). Modelers will also be able to purchase undecorated kit versions of this barrel ore hopper in both body styles. Visit Rapido Trains online for more information and to reserve your ore hopper train today. Deadline for reservations is May 17, 2021.
Rapido Trains
855-572-6917
rapidotrains.com
