InterMountain - 65328-17 - Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, Thrall 4750 - Canada Malting - 475738

Specific Item Information: These N Scale 4750 Cu Ft 3-bay Hopper cars are painted gray, with dark green lettering and a brown and yellow logo on each side. The model is equipped with etched metal roof walks, and Micro-Trains® couplers. Built: NEW 4-74

Model Information: Rib-side, 3-bay covered hoppers. 4750 cubic foot capacity. Features etched metal roofwalks, sharp painting and lettering, multiple road numbers per paint scheme, and metal wheels (at least for the 2017 release - earlier releases likely have plastic wheelsets).

InterMountain does not refer to a specific prototype on their website for this model, but I have seen it referred to as both a PS (Pullman-Standard) as well as a Thrall. Perhaps the model has elements of both prototypes baked into the molding? Would love to hear from a prototype expert on this one...

Prototype History: Starting around 1970 or so, every major railcar manufacturer produced a 4750 cubic foot covered hopper. Thrall was no exception. To be honest, these hoppers all look pretty similar. To make matters worse, these cars were modified as improvements were made to the design. In the case of the Thrall model, at least two major revisions were made to this car during the period in which it was produced. The cars were built starting in the late 1970s, this 263,000 lbs GRL (Gross Rail Loading) car is used primarily for grain transport. The thrall models feature 3 bays and rib sides. The roof is flat. These cars were used by the Burlington Northern in large numbers as well as by many other railroads.

Road Name History: Canada Malting Co. Limited was formed in 1902 by the amalgamation of three malting companies in Ontario, Canada. In 1906, the company's first modern malthouse was built in Montreal. At the time, it was the largest malthouse in North America. It was followed by the construction of additional malthouses in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Calgary, Alberta; Thunder Bay, Ontario; and Toronto, Ontario. Expansion continued to six malthouses, making Canada Malting the largest malt producer in the world. Canada Malting expanded internationally with the purchase of Great Western Malting Co. (U.S.) in 1989, Bairds Malt (U.K.) in 1990 and interest in two South American malthouses in the mid-1990s. In 1995, Canada Malting was purchased by joint venture partners ConAgra Foods and Tiger Brands. Canada Malting, along with Great Western Malting, Barrett Burston Malting and Bairds Malt, became part of ConAgra Malt. In 2006, Castle Harlan, together with its affiliate CHAMP Private Equity, acquired ConAgra Malt and created United Malt Holdings (UMH). In November 2009, UMH (consisting of Canada Malting, Great Western Malting, Bairds Malt and Barrett Burston Malting) was purchased by GrainCorp, a leading Australian grain handler and marketer. The acquisition led to the creation of GrainCorp Malt and transformed GrainCorp into an international agribusiness with operations in Australia, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Today, GrainCorp Malt is one of the world's largest producers of malt for use in the brewing and distilling industries.

Brand/Importer Information: InterMountain was founded in 1985 by Fred Brummet. They got started in the model railroad business by producing O-Scale model kits. They got started in the N Scale business almost a decade later when in 1994 they introduced the 40-23 reefer car in kit form. Later, in 1998, they started producing RTR (Ready-to-Run) models. By the early 2000s, InterMountain phased out kit production in favor of the RTR models.

The InterMountain Railway company is located at 1224 Boston Ave in Longmont, CO. They are a manufacturer of HO, N and Z scale model trains. They have produced kits as well as RTR (Ready-To-Run) models. Their N Scale products include locomotives as well as rolling stock. Their rolling stock lineup includes Boxcars, Hoppers, Tank Cars, Reefers, Gondolas, Stock Cars and Flatcars.

Their locomotive releases have primarily been diesel units, with the one major exception being their series of AC-12 Cab Forward steam locos. Their diesel lineup includes F3's, F7's, F9's, SD40's, SD45's and FT units. They are known for quality and detail. They also release their rolling stock in larger varieties of road numbers than most of the other manufacturers.