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8241

8242

It was initially listed as "Walthers", but then showed it being "Scale Craft"; which, based on page 46 of Wills' "American O Scale" book, is probably more likely:

C&O Hopper#2

...except the book shows different ends: "peaked" as opposed to "flat" ends. And this car has a vertical brake wheel.

The trucks look to have "plastic" bolsters; I've not seen trucks like this before. Actually, I did have a couple S gauge cars (Mid Gauge, maybe?) that had very similar trucks. Those mounting "pins" look like Walthers, don't they?

8253

The couplers, although non-working, are very nice. Here is one attached to a Walthers; subtle differences:

8256

The 1941 Walthers catalog (page 82) shows these:

8244

It mentions that due to the difficulty in assembling the all aluminum cars, they will be up-grading to kits with "die cast ends and wood or metal" sides: (I thought aluminum was a type of metal?) I can only imagine this "change" in material was put on hold until after the War.

There's just enough paint loss to where I can see what certainly looks like aluminum sides, but can't tell for sure what material the ends are, since die cast metal and aluminum look kinda the same.

So is this pre-war or post war?

Whatta ya think? Scale Craft, Walthers or even something else?

Mark in Oregon

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  • C&O Hopper#2
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bob2 - the All Nation aluminum hopper was the former Megow/Scale Railways model that had the rounded C&O ends.

I will try to attach some pictures for Mark.  This is a Scale Craft offset side hopper which uses the same floor and ends of the plain side hopper.  I sold my built up plain side version. I used Kadee couplers and Athearn trucks.  You can also use the Scale-Craft trucks with an upside down truck bolster.  With the Athearn trucks I also added springs for stabilization of the kingpin.

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Images (5)
  • IMG_5747: original pre-war boxes
  • IMG_5746: built up hopper
  • IMG_5744: view of SC hopper with Athearn truck and Kadee coupler
  • IMG_5742: Naonther hopper view
  • IMG_5743: end view
@j2morris posted:

MWB, please find attached All Nation advert for the Hopper which it reproduced from the Megow/Scale Railways pre-war masters.

I know mine was an Al-Nation kit - come new out of an All-Nation box,

But those sides and ends were not aluminum - hard and brittle stuff.

I almost bought a 2nd kit while possessed of a momentary lapse of reason but I managed to regain control and put it back on the table in Chicago.

j2morris - so are you saying Thomas Industries simplified the molds or that the Scale Craft hopper that is pictured at the start of this thread has additional details - specifically with respect to the sides of the car?  Since this is just the written word, please understand what I asked is in the form of a simple question about form evolution - nothing more.

MWB - heaven knows what Bill Pope used in the pour, not Zamac but could be a variety of other metals that could be used in sand casting.  Knowing Bill, the quality of the pour and metals used was very variable and could be essentially recycled scrap metal.  Not surprised that sides are brittle, however, Zamac is not possible to gravity cast in sand, it is only used in high pressure/high temperature die casting.  Before WW2, SC used linotype metal from high speed printing machines of the era (tied in to Donnelly's printing business).  It is often mistaken for Zamac but is extremely brittle.  SC cabooses were made from this metal and are often found cracked and deteriorated.

Robert- The Thomas SC cars are the EXACTLY the same as the original Scale-Craft cars as they stood in 1941/1945.  The level of detail is up to the model builder.  Jim Thomas made no changes to these kits and frankly most of them were from old stock he acquired in 1950.  When he ran out of the old stock these kits began to be listed as unavailable in later Thomas Industries catalogs.  The kits were listed under their post war SC kit numbers and are easily distinguished from the kits that Thomas developed himself (scale tank cars, 4 wheel caboose, tinplate train line).

JJ

Mark,

Here you go for the Scale craft hopper.  Plans showing both the offset side and straight side versions. I have a few of the straight side versions, hopefully to be repainted for PRR some day.  I really love the old Rail craft hoppers as well.  I have a box of probably a dozen for future rebuilds. Looks like my photo's got reversed.

two clunker hoppers

e3m1t-SCintsr

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  • e3m1t-SCintsr
  • two clunker hoppers

Thanks for posting those Dennis. Sorry for the delay in responding but have been helping someone move from fire- ravaged Medford to the Central Coast...where the smoke has been almost as bad...                                                                                                             Mark in (still smokey) Oregon

Last edited by Strummer

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