Ballast car availability?

[RockGp40]

If I were to attempt a model of this car, what would be my best choice of hoppers out there in N scale?

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=16347

[sirenwerks]

Brian,

How about the Atlas 70 ton Hart ballast car http://www.atlasrr.com/NFreight/nhartballastcar2.htm? The doors are relatively the same, but you'll need to scratchbuild new sides. Can't see the ends in the photo well enough to see what would need to be done there, if anything.

[3rdrail]

The Walthers ballast cars may be closer than the Atlas Hart cars, but believe they're a larger car. Also, they are out of stock at Walthers.

[up1950s]

Find a Walthers ballast car , and bash the Atlas bottoms on to it . Or the other way around .

[Denver Road Doug]

I don't think I would mess with the Walthers car.  The Atlas Hart chutes are closer, and neither have the correct sides and/or end slopes.

It looks like if you took the Trainworx Quad or Atlas 90T, remove the last rib on each end, (giving you 11 like the photo) and completely rebuild the end slope, you'd at least have the right rib configuration for the side, not considering major dimensions, overall length, panel widths, etc.  Then put the Hart chutes on the bottom, fabricate the bottom for the new end slope, and extend the middle support from the ends to the new slope.  Still would probably be a major foobie but that would be the quickest way to get something close, I'd say.

Looked at the Walthers car again...you might be able to extend the length on it and make it work, too.  It just seems like the ends are so chunky on that car that even the Atlas 90T would be better.

[sirenwerks]

Brian,

If you decide to go with the Walthers car, I have some I picked up at swaps with no real intent for them. And considering our proximity, there'd be no shipping. IM me if you want.