Northern Pacific bought a modest fleet of these hoppers on the used freight car market. Mines along the NP in Montana and the Dakotas produced lignite, also known as sub-bituminous or brown coal. Much of the NP steam locomotive fleet was designed to handle this grade of coal. For reasons lost to the years, these cars appeared to have received their “NORTHERN PACIFIC” lettering using stencils meant for NP’s flat cars rather than those usually used on hoppers and gondolas. About half of NP’s USRA 2-bay hopper fleet was still in operation in the 1960s.

These ready-to-run cars will feature:

• diecast slope sheet-hopper bay-center sill assembly
• injection molded plastic sides, ends, and hopper doors
• fully molded brake tank, valve and air lines
• body mounted brake hose detail
• coal load
• lever-style hand brake
• body mounted magnetically operating knuckle couplers
• close coupling
• Fox Valley Models metal wheels

All road names will be available in multiple road numbers. For instance, order a single, a 2-pack and a 3-pack to get all six road numbers on a run. (Some road names will be available in just three road numbers.)