After a five year break, the Bluford Shops N scale converted wood chip hoppers are making a triumphant return. As the timber industry discovered new uses for wood chips (they had been burning them as waste,) the railroad industry hurried to develop a means to haul them economically. By adding extension boards to standard 70 ton coal hoppers, many roads were able to take on this traffic. Some railroads preferred flat side extensions made from steel or composite (steel and plywood) while others preferred rib-sided extensions.

These ready-to-run cars 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; slope sheet braces; separately molded vertical brake rod and lever assembly; body mounted brake hose detail; chip load; body mounted magnetically operating couplers; close coupling; friction bearing or roller bearing trucks as appropriate for each road name and Fox Valley Models metal wheels. All road names are produced in multiple road numbers. Order a single and one each of the multi-packs to get all available road numbers. (if you order 3 singles for instance, they will all have the same road number so get a single a 2-pack and so on.)

Kansas City Southern began converting a group of 300 hoppers for wood chip service in 1967. They were outshopped in the recently adopted white paint scheme. We present them here a few years later after they had received their ACI tags and con-stencils. KCS served the densely forested Ozark Mountains on their way between Kansas City and the Gulf. This made forest products an important part of KCS’s traffic base.

Order Due Date: December 2, 2019

Anticipated Delivery Date: June 2020