I’ve looked all over for the Athearn 6 pack of Rio Grande 40’ Offset Hoppers. Mfg part number 140-91163. Does anyone have an idea where I might find this mfg disco’d item? I’ve checked EBay, Wholesale Trains and Google. Thanks for any help you can give.
I too would like to get my hands on a 6pack of “smooth side” unmarked 40’ Hoppers. But have not been able to source them. I wonder if we pitition Horizon they’ll do a run on the old blue boxes?
Well, I’ve got a 6-pack of Rio Grande 40’ Offset Hoppers (are you surprised, Fergie?) that I found by accident in my LHS about three months ago. The cars sit so high on their trucks that I had to file almost 1/8" off the bolsters to get them to match with my Kadee coupler-height gauge. They have metal wheels, but are not as free-rolling as my other cars equipped with P2k’s, and the trucks won’t accept the P2k’s because of a difference on the inside of the wheel-wells. The couplers are weak–I can’t put them at the head of a hopper train for fear of them uncoupling, and I swear to God that Athearn WELDED the coupler-pockets together so that you can’t replace them with Kadee 5’s.
Now do you still want to find a 6-pack of them?
Tom [B)]
Thanks guys for the advice. I did find the units through the net at a great little shop up in Minn called Becker’s. Spoke with the owner Bill directly and he helped me out. Great people and great service. Check em out at http://members.aol.com/wcbecker/