Bowser 100 ton hopper
Bowser
100 Ton Hopper...
Bar none, this is the most prototypically accurate hopper
on the market. They come in C&O, B&O, Chessie C&O, Chessie
B&O, and (I think) Chessie WM. The Chessie System Historical
Society also offers them in C&O and B&O. The CSHS ones are
in road numbers never before produced or decorated but without a road number.
They retail for around $9-10 each and are great compliments
for the Stewart 70 ton hopper. I got four at a train show for $35,
so that is $8.75 each. Bowser offers several road numbers for each
paint scheme, so in no time you can have a prototypically accurate coal
train.
Below is a Dean Heacock pic of a 100ton hopper.
Bowser hoppers are so good, all you have to do is assemble
and weather them. I usually give my predecessor ones a good overspray
of dark grey followed by a tan on the bottom 1/4 of the car. The
Chessie ones I try to keep the weathering lighter since they are most likely
newly painted.
Below are several pictures of my cars. I currently
have 11 C&O, 2 B&O, 1 Chessie C&O, and 1 Chessie B&O, so
I won't bore you by posting all the pics again. If you want to see
them all they are on the freight cars page. The two Chessie ones
are pictured with the McKean hopper topper. These plastic lids were
put on cars to turn them into temporary covered hoppers. I have only
seen Chessie painted cars with "hopper toppers".
