Manufacturer
Wm. K. Walthers Inc.
P.O. Box 3039
Milwaukee, WI 53201
www.walthers.com
Era: 1997 to present
Comments: After a nine year hiatus, the Walthers HO scale National Steel Car (NSC) 6,245-cubic-foot-capacity covered hopper is back, now part of the firm’s Platinum line. The ready-to-run car features factory-installed wire grab irons, metal wheelsets, and Proto-Max magnetic knuckle couplers.
The full-size covered hoppers are primarily used in plastic pellet service. To expedite the unloading process, the cars are equipped with vacuum pneumatic gravity outlets that can be opened from either side of the car.
The Walthers model has a one-piece body with separate slope sheets, running boards, hatch covers, and end frame ladders. The underbody casting has individually applied discharge gates and a combined bolster and draft-gear box assembly.
Our hopper, decorated for General Electric Rail Services Corp. (NAHX), has smooth, evenly applied gray paint. All of the black lettering is crisp, and the tiny data is legible under magnification.
The model’s truck centers and distance over the strikers match drawings found on the NSC website. The distance over the pulling face of the couplers is a scale 1′-6″ too long, but this is typical as model couplers are oversized.
The Proto-Max couplers are at the correct height, and the wheelsets (mounted on plastic axles) are correctly gauged. The car weighs 4.3 ounces, which is .95 ounce too light based on National Model Railroad Association recommended practice 20.1.
