Bluford Shops 14680 N 14-Panel 3-Bay Hopper Western Maryland post-'74 #WM 80493

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.

Western Maryland received this group of hoppers from Bethlehem Steel in 1958. The use of roller bearing trucks on  hopper cars was still a novelty and the hoppers were delivered with yellow ends to remind brakemen to set the handbrakes when setting out cars. As use of these trucks spread, WM dispensed with the yellow ends as cars were repainted although the R in the yellow circle remained. By the mid-70s, ACI tags and 2-box format consolidated stencils had been applied.