Guaranteed Pre-Order Deadline is October 15th, 2026
After closing, you may still place a pre-order and we will attempt to acquire one for you.
Estimated Delivery Date Is: TBA
Product Information:
Thirty-nine thousand. That’s how many H21 class hoppers were built by the Pennsylvania Railroad. To put that in some perspective, that’s more cars in one class than the Missouri Pacific, Nickel Plate or Rock Island had cars of ALL types on their rosters! Put another way, through the 1950s one of every two PRR hoppers was an H21. This is a car that every modeler needs!
The various classes of H21 hoppers travelled throughout the country in what the Pennsy termed “mineral service” (coal, ore, gravel, limestone…. etc.). They proved amazingly long lived - there were still more than 3,000 still in service in 1970, and 143 still in service at the advent of Conrail in 1976! Many were also used in work train service under PC and later.
H21A
The H21 was a four-bay design with many construction cues from the smaller GLa hopper. Designed first as a 50-ton coke car, very quickly it was realized that they would make great coal hoppers. The first cars were then converted to H21A with the addition of 70-ton trucks. Additional groups of H21As followed. H21A cars were equipped with Carmer uncoupling levers.
Rapido’s HO scale model is available in three of the most common versions —
H21A, H21E and now H21G. Our HO scale H21s feature:
- Accurately scaled from prototype blueprints and photos
- K or AB brake systems as appropriate
- Die-cast chassis for great operating weight
- Full inside and outside rivet detail
- Separate wire grab irons
- Correct detail variations for each sub-class, including center sill, sides, ends and details
- Rapido semi-scale metal couplers
- Free-rolling trucks with turned metal wheels
- Accurate paint and decoration
- Multiple roadnumbers available for each paint scheme
- Minimum suggested radius: 18”
