Search:
Type the text to search here and press Enter.
Separate search terms by a space; they will all be searched individually in all fields of the database. Click on Search: to go to the advanced search page.
Classifieds Only: Check this box if you want to search classifieds instead of the catalog.
Please help support TroveStar. Why?

Precision Masters - 1534-2 - Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, PS-2-CD 4750 - Milwaukee Road - 100308

This item is not for sale. This is a reference database.
N Scale - Precision Masters - 1534-2 - Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, PS-2-CD 4750 - Milwaukee Road - 100308
Click on any image above to open the gallery with larger images.
Sell this item on TroveStar
Sell
Add a comment about this item.
It will be visible at the bottom of this page to all users.
Comment
Stock Number1534-2
Original Retail Price$26.95
BrandPrecision Masters
ManufacturerFox Valley
Body StylePrecision Masters Covered Hopper 3-Bay 4750 PS-2
Prototype VehicleCovered Hopper, 3-Bay, PS-2-CD 4750 (Details)
Road or Company NameMilwaukee Road (Details)
Reporting MarksMILW
Road or Reporting Number100308
Paint Color(s)Yellow
Print Color(s)Black
Coupler TypeRapido Hook
Wheel TypeInjection Molded Plastic
Wheel ProfileSmall Flange (Low Profile)
Release Date2017-12-01
Item CategoryRolling Stock (Freight)
Model TypeCovered Hopper
Model Subtype3-Bay
Model Variety4750 PS-2
Prototype RegionNorth America
Prototype EraNA Era IV: 2nd Gen Diesel (1958 - 1978)
Years Produced1972-1990's
Scale1/160



Model Information: Precision Masters first released this body style in kit form. Later on, they released the same body as a RTR (Ready-to-Run) model. In 2005, Red Caboose acquired this tooling from PM. Red Caboose released this model in RTR form. The 4740 model can be distinguished from the 4750 model by counting the ribs. The 4740 has 16 ribs and the 4750 has 18 ribs. The ribs on the 4750 are a little chubbier as well.

Fox Valley later acquired all N Scale toolings from Red Caboose and proceeded to re-release an updated version of the 4750 PS-2 Covered Hopper in 2017. The new versions carry MTL body-mounted couplers and low-profile blackened-metal wheels.
Prototype History:
Manufactured by Pullman Standard from 1972 through the 1990's at least, these 4750 Cu. Ft. Hoppers were considered the 'Standard of the Industry' at the time. It is one of the most common freight cars in the rail scene since the late '70's. Features unique to this car include the 18 vertical posts on the car side (19 panel side) and compound curve roof (called by some a clerestory roof).
The 4,740 and 4,750 designs are often mistaken for each other, although the 4,750 has two more panels.
Road Name History:
First of all, Milwaukee Road has only ever been a popular nickname. The real name from 1874 was Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul. For the next 36 years, the CM&StP linked Chicago with Milwaukee, Green Bay, Madison, Wausau, the Twin Cities, Duluth, Kansas City and Omaha with a dense network of branches in Wisconsin, Iowa, southern Minnesota and eastern South Dakota. Essentially, the lines ended at the Missouri River.

With a dearth of friendly western connections, CM&StP decided to build their own line to the Pacific. The original target was the bustling megalopolis of Eureka, California. However, they built toward Seattle instead. In 1909 the line opened. Along the way, they served Miles City, Lewiston, Great Falls, Harlowton and Butte, Montana; Avery, Idaho; and Spokane, Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. In 1912, they began to electrify two long segments, Harlowton, Montana to Avery, Idaho and Othello, Washington to Tacoma.

In 1921, they leased the Chicago Terre Haute & Southeastern and a bit later the Chicago Milwaukee & Gary to reach the coal fields of southern Indiana. Both roads were in trouble and dragged the CM&StP into receivership. In 1928, they emerged with a small name change. It was now the Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific. Right after that, the nickname “Milwaukee Road” began to catch on.

The three Class One’s that already served the Pacific Northwest, Northern Pacific, Great Northern (along with their jointly owned minion Spokane Portland & Seattle) and Union Pacific were not pleased with their new neighbor and avoided building interchanges with them unless absolutely necessary. This left Milwaukee to haul whatever traffic they could originate or terminate on their own line or via a hand full of shortlines with which they interchanged. This is why when you see photos of Milwaukee Road trains west of the Dakotas, an exceptionally large majority of cars are lettered for Milwaukee Road.

Milwaukee’s steam fleet is generally quite handsome beginning with the period after WWI. Many locomotives were built in their own shops. The steam era came to an end on the Milwaukee in 1957.

The electrified lines were ruled by boxcabs and Bi-Polars for decades. In the 1950’s, Little Joe’s diverted from the Soviet Union arrived on the Milwaukee (and the South Shore.) By the late 60’s diesels began to regularly invade the electrified lines. Little Joes and diesels were MU’ed. The aging catenary could only handle so many electrics at a time so diesels filled the horsepower gap. By 1972, falling traffic, a declining fleet of serviceable electrics and the deteriorating catenary caused Milwaukee Road to de-energize the western lines lines with Avery to Harlowton lines following two years later.

Meanwhile on the east end, as a condition of the 1971 merger of Monon into L&N, Milwaukee Road received trackage rights from Chicago to Louisville. This gave Southern a friendly connection to Chicago it was losing with Monon.

In 1977, Milwaukee Road entered receivership again. This time, radical restructuring was needed. In 1980, everything west of Miles City, Montana was abandoned. Some lines were picked up by connections or spawned new shortlines but nearly 1,000 miles of track was pulled up. In 1982, Miles City to Ortonville, Minnesota was abandoned. Milwaukee was concentrating on their pre-1909 routes plus the new line to Louisville.

In an attempt to win back middle distance TOFC traffic, Milwaukee began running fast and short piggyback trains, usually behind a single SD40-2 and with a dozen or so 89’ flats. Unit coal trains added to the bottom line. By the mid-80s, the streamlined Milwaukee Road was up for sale and Grand Trunk Western, Chicago & North Western and Soo Line got into a bidding war. GTW had diverted 40,000 cars onto Milwaukee Road between Chicago and Duluth to help them turn a profit in 1983. Ironically, the ICC (which controlled mergers at the time) pushed GTW out of the contest leaving just C&NW and Soo. Furious, GTW diverted their 40,000 carloads off the Milwaukee. C&NW outbid Soo, but the ICC chose Soo Line anyway. Milwaukee Road merged into Soo Line in 1985. Almost immediately, Soo shops began painting big black rectangles over MILWAUKEE ROAD on the diesels, giving birth to the “bandit” paint scheme.
Brand/Importer Information:
Precision Masters was founded in 1984 by Bob Byers as a part-time operation. Initially the company was focused on producing a new coupler type that was compatible with Kadee/MTL couplers but had more accurate dimensions. After two years, in 1986, PM released their first entry into Rolling stock with the 5-Bay Ortner Open Hopper. Eventually, their product line grew to comprise 11 different body styles.

Bob's goal with the PM product line was to produce an alternative to the current (1980s) manufacturers releases. At that time, Micro-Trains/Kadee was known for excellent quality models with accurate scale details and high quality printing. All the others produced somewhat clunky models with inaccurately scaled roofwalks, brake wheels, stirrups, ladders and other details. The goal at PM was to produce a close-to-Kadee quality model at a lower price point. One of the ways PM accomplished this was releasing their models in 'easy-build" kit form.

Bob sold substantially all of PM's assets to Red Caboose in March of 1998. Fortunately, Red Caboose continued to release these models until they also sold their assets to Fox Valley Models. Again fortunately, we continue to see releases of these excellent quality models via Fox Valley with InterMountain trains helping with distribution.
Item created by: Mopjunkie on 2019-04-27 18:54:33. Last edited by CNW400 on 2020-06-11 11:45:52

If you see errors or missing data in this entry, please feel free to log in and edit it. Anyone with a Gmail account can log in instantly.