Bluford Shops N 63165 2-Bay War Emergency Composite Hopper, Louisville and Nashville #31849

These 2-Bay War Emergency Composite Hopper cars were built during the Second World War with wood siding and slope sheets at the direction of the War Production Board in hopes of saving as much steel as possible for the war effort. This was especially the case with hoppers that were usually built with copper-bearing steel to resist corrosion. The car sides were built with the Pratt truss design using a combination of vertical and diagonal ribs.

Louisville and Nashville received this 1,000 car group in 1943 and 1944 from Pullman Standard. We present them here as they appeared after repainting with the AAR standard nine inch reporting marks and seven inch numbers. L&N dominated the coal fields of eastern Kentucky and their hoppers spilled across the industrial heartland.

Features:
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
Body mounted brake hose detail
Removeable load
Body mounted magnetically operating knuckle couplers
Close coupling
Fox Valley Models metal wheels