Guaranteed Pre-Order Deadline is July 7th, 2026
After closing, you may still place a pre-order and we will attempt to acquire one for you.
Estimated Delivery Date Is: March 2027
Product Information:
Bluford Shops is announcing a new group of runs on our N scale USRA 30’6” 2-Bay Hopper. These ready-to-run cars feature: die cast slope sheet-hopper bay-center sill assembly; injection molded plastic sides, ends, and hopper doors; fully molded brake tank, valve and air lines; coal load; lever-style hand brake; body mounted magnetically operating knuckle couplers; close coupling; and metal wheels.
Northern Pacific bought a modest fleet of these hoppers from a secondhand dealer. 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 burn this grade of coal. For reasons lost to history, these cars 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. This run is available in 6 all new road numbers