This from Tangent on the MFCL.... looks real nice and talk about making plenty of numbers available!!!
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At today's NMRA National Train Show in Milwaukee WI, Tangent Scale Models is pleased to announce our fourth ALL-NEW HO scale freight car, the Bethlehem Steel design open quad hopper – with coal load - as produced for Union Pacific, available July 28!
These cars represent UP's largest fleet of coal hoppers in company history. First produced in 1974 by Bethlehem Steel as UP class H-100-10, production of a majority of the fleet occurred in UP's Albina (Portland OR) Shops between 1976 and 1981. Production of this important fleet ended with the H-100-23 class, after UP placed more than 6,900 of these "quad" hoppers in service in the rapidly-growing Western low-sulfur coal market. These cars became the workhorses of the UP coal fleet, serving coal originations in Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado, including non-UP coal originations on DRGW, Utah Railway, and Wyoming & Colorado (a former UP branchline). These locations continue to source coal in these UP quad hoppers! Their use has wandered far from coal origin points, including the famed trains over Cajon Pass to Southern California, utilizing mixed DRGW and UP power (plus helpers). These cars have also seen service to all Eastern carriers through interchange service from UP. These quad hoppers continue to operate both in coal and other services, such as miscellaneous aggregates, coke, and sugar beet services.
The Tangent Scale Models prototype replica of the Union Pacific Bethlehem design quad hopper has never been produced in HO scale, making it a distinctive addition to any freight car fleet. And like all of the other products in our line, we take the time to maintain our strong emphasis on accurate reproduction of the prototype, as well as disciplined execution of each model. Finally, we design our products to be utilized in operating environments. Notable callouts for our new UP Bethlehem Steel design open quad hopper include:
- Highly accurate "true to life" colors
- Exact fonts and lettering placement
- Painted, scale-sized wire grabirons and coupler lift bars for strength and durability
- Air hoses
- Thin-profile brake piping
- See-through etched metal brake platforms
- L-shaped end-sheet supports
- Interior bracing detail
- Highly-detailed hopper bay outlet gates
- "Narrow appearance" coupler box with Kadee® scale couplers
- Ready-to-operate model with hidden weights
- Tangent 100-ton N-11 trucks with free-rolling metal wheels
- A "Tangent-accurate" non-symmetrical, properly-sloped coal load
- Dimensional accuracy - scaled from prototype plans
- Car number selection process - we select car numbers from online or published sources, focusing on late era numbers to represent more than 35 years in continuous operation.
Our first production is available in the following 9 Union Pacific scheme variations, covering all eras of original paint and repaint possibilities. We are also offering a wide selection of roadnumbers in order to allow customization of trains appropriate for your modeling era:
- Scheme 1: Union Pacific "Original H-100-16" in UP freight car red carbody, available in 9 randomly numbered 3-packs for a total of 27 road numbers, plus 9 individual road numbers (for a total of 36 road numbers)
- Scheme 2: Union Pacific "Original H-100-17" in black carbody with Armour Yellow ends, available in 9 randomly numbered 3-packs for a total of 27 road numbers, plus 9 individual road numbers (for a total of 36 road numbers)
- Scheme 3: Union Pacific "Original H-100-18" double rotary end car in black with Armour Yellow ends, available in 2 road numbers
- Scheme 4: Union Pacific "1989 H-100-18 Black Repaint" in black carbody with UP shield, and Armour Yellow ends, available in 6 road numbers
- Scheme 5: Union Pacific "1989 H-100-18 Black Repaint" in black carbody with UP shield, and white ends, available in 1 road number
- Scheme 6: Union Pacific "1989 H-100-18 Black Repaint" in black carbody with no UP shield, with white ends, available in 1 road number
- Scheme 7: Union Pacific "1989 H-100-19 Red Repaint" in UP freight car red carbody with UP shield, available in 2 road numbers
- Scheme 8: Union Pacific "1991 H-100-16 Red Repaint" in UP freight car red carbody with UP shield, available in 4 road numbers
- Scheme 9: Union Pacific "1997 H-100-19 Black Repaint" in black carbody with UP shield, and Armour Yellow ends, available in 5 road numbers
- Undecorated Primer Gray assembled
Want to see photos of these spectacular replicas? See
http://tangentscalemodels.com/bethlehemquadhopperreplicas.aspx for a link to the new models!
Pricing for our new RTR hoppers is $32.95 each for singles, and $87.99 for three packs. Because these are likely desired in greater quantities, we then offer extended discounts for multiple car "mix and match" quantities at increments of 3, 12, 24, and 36 models. Feel free to "mix and match" your own multi-number and multi-scheme order! Our store is available here:
http://tangentscalemodels.com/bethlehemquadhopper.aspxWe are debuting these cars at the National Train Show this weekend in Milwaukee WI. The models are on US soil now and will begin shipping on July 28. Order online today from
http://tangentscalemodels.com/bethlehemquadhopper.aspx for the fastest, guaranteed shipping when they arrive.
And if you are at the National Train Show in Milwaukee, please drop by booth 62 and say hello, and witness the production models in person!
That wraps up our second update for today – check out our other press release featuring our new gondolas here:
http://tangentscalemodels.com/acf70tongondolareplicas.aspxIn case you missed it, in May we announced a new run of PS-2 4000 hoppers. Info available here:
http://tangentscalemodels.com/ps4000replicas.aspxWe thank you for continuing to support the little guys in our big industry!
David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models
"Unparalleled scale replicas for discriminating railroad modelers"
www.tangentscalemodels.comtangentscalemodels@yahoo.com
PO Box 6514
Asheville NC 28816
828-279-6106