When America's railroads were nationalized during World War I, the United States Railroad Administration created 12 standard locomotive designs - including the USRA Mikado shown elsewhere in this catalog - and 5 standardized freight cars. One of the most enduring car designs was the 55-ton all-steel hopper, of which 22,000 cars were delivered by the USRA to 23 railroads. After the war, the American Railroad Association adopted the design as its standard practice, and near-clones were built by the tens of thousands - the majority of which worked long enough to help win the next World War and contribute to the prosperity that followed.

First debuting in 2009, this M.T.H. model is an accurate recreation of the USRA hopper that was seen throughout the country for decades, in the liveries of five railroads that received original government allotments.