Bluford Shops 14620 N 14-Panel 3-Bay Hopper Delaware & Hudson post-'73 #D&H 9174

The Bluford Shops N scale 14-Panel 3-Bay Hopper returns in nine new paint schemes. The design of this hopper was spearheaded by New York Central in the late ‘50s as they sought an alternative to the AAR 70-ton rib side hopper design. In the end, this 14-Panel design proved to be popular with more railroads than the AAR design. Our N scale models feature diecast slope sheet/hopper bay assemblies for plenty of weight – even when running empty, removeable loads, metal wheels, magnetically operating knuckle couplers, separately applied brake detail and carefully researched paint schemes.

Delaware & Hudson took delivery of this batch of hoppers from Bethlehem Steel in 1958. Most were assigned to loading Ilmenite (titanium ore) at one of the nation’s largest deposits in New York. By 1974, re-painted cars were receiving this paint scheme. The fleet expanded in 1976 when D&H was granted extensive trackage rights on the newly created Conrail to provide some measure of competition. The deal included locomotives and rolling stock such as a number of Erie Lackawanna’s nearly identical hoppers built in the 60s by Greenville.