Are there any models of the Thrall Car Covered Hoppers available in N, HO, O?
Thrall Car built Covered Hoppers in great numbers from 1970 to 2000.
Thrall Car Covered Hoppers were similar to Pullman-Standard and American Car & Foundry designs, but not duplicates.
Thrall Car Covered Hoppers are distinct enough that it would be hard to alter existing models to match.
The Thrall Car 4750 Cubic Foot Capacity 3-Bay Covered Hopper was operated by many companies in many locations. There must be an HO Scale mass produced model somewhere.
You are in luck Atlas has just announced one in HO scale in their Trainman line. There was a pre-production model at the NE Prototype Modelers Meet today.
Atlas is making them for the TrainMan Line, that is great news. A Thrall Car Covered Hopper will soon be available in HO Scale, then they could folllow with N and O Scales, like with the other cars. Thank You, Jim Weaver.
Tom,Indeed Intermountain does have a 4750.I am not to keen on car builders but,it does look like a Thrall.These hoppers sell for $13.95 in kit or $29.95 RTR.
The Trainman should sell for around $12.00 RTR.I like the idea of the Trainman 4750 because I can mix those in with my Athearn ACF,PS,and FMC cover hoppers.
The best part I won’t need to hock the farm to buy several of the 4750s.
There has been quite a discussion on the Thrall Covered hopper on the Modern Freight Car List the past two days, here is a link to see the preproduction sample and possible road names that Atlas may produce.
And yes it is a Thrall 4750 not the ACF 5701.
I wonder what Athearn will do with all their foobie Thrall 4750 paint schemes that they put on their PS 4740’s now?
Here is a link to the picture taken at the NE RR convention.
Rick,Athearn has ACF,PS,and FMC cover hoppers.Atlas did the Thrall 4750s.All of these cars are needed…Also for the high end car there is the more correct Intermountain.Thrall 4750.
Just like the Trainman GP38-2 I didn’t see a mad rush to buy ‘em even tho’ the Trainman is a early GP38-2.
If you visit the Atlas forum some are already bashing the Atlas Thrall 4750 because the “ladders are to thick” and “The roof walk is to thick” even tho’ this is a low end car…
I’d like to see more of the larger General American cars made, the Dry-Flo (I know it was made by Eastern Car Works) and the follow up 4500 cubic foot 3 bay.
The same things are being said on the MFCL Group, but the diversity of the Covered Hoppers is needed. But the general consensus on the ribs is that they are especially well done as compared to the gondola done in the Trainman Series. The roofwalk is easily replaceable with a Plano for those that need it. The major problem is the heaviness in the detail on the ends, they did an alright job on the ACF cars why not the Thralls. Also the pulling hole is missing on the car but that can be also easily fixed.
I did purchase the Trainman RS32 and RS36 as I need them for the NYC and NKP.
Intermountain does not make a Thrall, they make the PS 4750, although Athearn paints a lot of their 4740’s in 4750 schemes they are visually very different.
The Atlas RR forum for HO Scale has a posting with a pre-production model of the Thrall Car 4750 Cu. Ft. Capy. 3-Bay Covered Hopper as it appeared in the middle of the 1970’s.
The Soo Line had some earlier versions that had 2 “missing” ribs, we can overlook that one. There were several Soo Line schemes for this car that fit the rib pattern in a way that can not be replicated on other 3-Bay Covered Hoppers with ribs.
The Minneapolis Northfield and Southern, the Burlington Northern, and Union Equity had many of the Thrall Car 4750 Cu. Ft… These Covered Hoppers are still around since most are less than 30 years old. They are definitely not identical to the Pullman-Standard 4740 or 4750 Cu. Ft. Capy 3-Bay Covered Hoppers.
Thrall Car 4750 Cu. Ft. Covered Hopper has been formally announced on the Atlas RR website for the HO Scale and N Scale TrainMan line. It has moderate detail levels.
They might just run the Soo Line scheme on these cars as they are. The Soo Line Thrall Car 4750 Cu. Ft. Hoppers were earlier production runs that had variations.
The Thrall 4750 has been conspicuous by their Absence.
In the MODEL RAILROADER’S Guide To Freight Cars photograph 3-8 shows a Union Equity 4750 Cu. Ft. Capy. 3-Bay Covered Hopper. The caption has it listed as a Pullman-Standard when it is obviously a Thrall Car built Hopper. The details are so different that it can not be a PS-2-CD. Somehow someone at Kalmbach has to have discovered the identification mistake by now and will correct any future printings and post a correction on the Kalmbach website.
This is a technical illustration of the same type of Thrall Covered Hopper to be made by Atlas for HO Scale and N Scale.
