top gon hoppers

[tftrainman]

could any body tell me who, if any body makes an ho scale model of norfolk southern's top gon coal hoppers? if so please let me know i have been searching everywhere and have not come up with any thing.

[lanny]

Hi,

I am not sure what a 'top gon' hopper is ... though I know that ICRR used gondolas as coal hoppers and there are some models of that style available from Intermountain or possibly some other mfg, I think.

Could you give a few more details as to what you mean regarding 'top gon' hoppers?

thanks!

lanny

[tftrainman]

are you familiar with norfolk southern railroad? it was a car that they built in their virginia car shops and they were built from scrap car parts basically a kitbashed car

[lanny]

Hi

Here in mid Iowa we have a 'branch' of the NW/NS but I am not familiar with that particular car. I model late steam era so maybe it did not exist in the 40s and 50s? Is it a more recent NS hopper (I mean by that , 'diesel era'?)

lanny

[tftrainman]

yes it is it was built back when NS was first taking delivery of the "new" dash 8-40 b locomotives and it was designed on the pocohontas division in west virginia it is a rotary dumping hopper but it doesnt have a bathtub belly it has just a normal flat bottom. NS still runs the car but yes it is a diesel era car it is was around the early 80s that it was first came about.

[Dr EMD]

Top Gon are high sided coal gondolas that are emptied in a rotary coal unloader. They are NOT hopper cars as the hoppers are replaced to hold more cubic feet of coal in a "bathtub".

"Top Gon = Long top gons are 46'4" inside length, and include the G85R, G86R, G88R, G98R, G100R and G101R classes. These were rebuilt from the H12/H12A class hoppers, as well as from the various H11 hopper classes by stretching the center sill."

The car shops painted a few in black since the grey didn't hold up as well as the black on the hoppers, but the legal department put a stop to that plan since the "Top Gon" registered trademark was registered as black on grey and not white on black. The cars were repainted grey before being placed into revenue service.

[Dr EMD]

A picture would help. Here

[tftrainman]

yes that is correct this is the car i have been talking about i have been looking for them in ho scale but cant seem to find anyone who makes the car or produces a car similiar to it. i would like to find a way to model them though i currently have the 100 ton silver series hopper and the athearn ho 5 pack of the coalporters but i would like to find the top gons if possible or find a car similiar that would look closely the same as the top gon.

[csxnsdan]

There are no commercially available models of the Top Gons at the present time but Huberts are supposed to be releasing some soon,may want to preorder them as if done correctly they will sell out fast.Hope this helps,Dan

[tftrainman]

this does help thank you very much you say that "huberts" is goin to produce them soon? i will be sure to check in on that. i dont understand why nobody ever produced them.

[csxnsdan]

Huberts is the present incarnation of LBF/E&C shops/Front Range Products.I would post the website but not sure if Mr. Bachmann would appreciate that.Glad I could help.Dan

[the Bach-man]

Dear  Dan,
No problem- post away!
Have  fun!
the Bach-man

[jschmid]

http://www.hubertsrr.com makes them though only availible ready to run. They come with Atlas trucks, and  think Kadee couplers.