Eastern Seaboard Models - 203700 - Covered Hopper, 2-Bay, GATX Airslide 4180 - Italgrani USA - 57086

Specific Item Information: This model, based on the mid 1990s prototype, is painted in GATX "blue garland." The herald of Italgrani U.S.A., a northeastern company that leases these hoppers, is printed in white, yellow and dark "bluestone." The GATX herald is printed in yellow and bluestone. The dimensional data is printed in bluestone on the sides and ends, and the consolidated stencil is printed in black & white. The car rides on black roller bearing trucks with Rapido couplers. Made in United States.

Model Information: This model was originally created by Delaware Valley. It was later acquired by Bowser. It has also been used by Eastern Seaboard Models models.

Prototype History: The first Airslide covered hopper was introduced by General American Transportation Corporation (GATX) in 1953 and had a capacity of 2600 cubic feet. The Airslide is primarily designed for the bulk shipment of dry, granular or powdered commodities. The design of that car is such that it can be loaded and unloaded quickly and with little spillage through the use of air pressure. The most common commodities carried include: flour, sugar, starch, plastic pellets, cement, powdered chemicals and carbon black.

Due to customer demand for larger covered hoppers capable of handling bulk commodities, General American Transportation Corporation introduced the larger 4180 c.f. model in 1963. GATX produced more than 5,000 of the 4180 cubic foot Airslide covered hoppers between 1963 and 1980. These very common cars continued General American’s “Airslide” family innovations from the 1950s, and proved valuable to bulk shippers who wanted a larger car than the earlier-design 2600 cubic foot cars provided.

Road Name History: At Italgrani USA, we are not one single business but many, designed to overlap and interact in different ways. Connecting them all is the goal to have what it takes to handle our customers' grain needs, from the pasta manufacturer seeking semolina milled from the best quality durum, to the farmer in need of market intelligence and the best price for his or her crop. Italgrani USA operated a large flour mill in Ayer, MA, which is Northwest of Boston. They made flour for Prince Spaghetti in Lowell, MA, and it was shipped in grain hopper cars. Italgrani USA has since sold the mill to Cargill, and the Prince Spaghetti plant closed. So we don't see these cars on the rails of Eastern Massachusetts anymore.

Headquartered in the center of America's heartland, St. Louis, MO, our operations are strategically placed throughout farm country. We have one of North America's largest durum wheat mills located in St. Louis, grain elevator operations in North Dakota, a trading operation in Minneapolis, MN, and a new, state-of-the-art grain unloading, grain storage and barge loading facility in St. Louis.

Brand/Importer Information: Eastern Seaboard Models was founded in 1987. They are a manufacturer of N scale reproductions of North American eastern railroad prototypes. The have both decorated other manufacturers' models as well as designed body styles of their own. They are located at PO Box 301, Waldwick, New Jersey 07463-0301 U.S.A.

Their 2016 lineup includes ready-to-run gondolas, well cars, hoppers, tank cars and boxcars. They also produce craftsman quality kits in their "Made in America" series. ESM products may be purchased directly from their website.