InterMountain - 67106-36 - Gondola, Bathtub, Bethgon Coalporter - Sultran - 1635

Specific Item Information: This N scale Bathtub Coal Gondola is painted black with orange lettering. The SULTRAN logo is printed in one vertical panel at one end. The model includes a car load. The car is equipped with Micro-Trains® trucks and couplers. Built: 8-81

Model Information: This Intermountain model features some excellent detail work. Of particular note is the handrails at each car end, brake details, and grab irons. The underframes don't have much detail but we suspect that this is true of the prototype as well. Some of the brake components seem to be molded on whereas other parts are separately applied details. Overall the car ends are the highlight of this model. Being an older model, the couplers are truck mounted and plastic wheels are present on the trucks. That being said, InterMountain used MTL Barber truck/couplers and the result is a car that tracks and runs very well. Now, it is possible to swap the wheels with nicely made blackened wheels supplied by Fox Valley, InterMountain and (coming later in 2017) MTL OEM wheels.

On the negative side, the factory-supplied plastic coal loads are a total write-off and should be swapped at your earliest convenience with a Hay Brothers (or equivalent) resin cast load. Please look at item for an example of one of these cars with a Hay Brothers Load

Prototype History: Since 1982, the BethGon Coalporter has been hauling "black diamonds" across the United States. The largest selling Coal Gondola in the world, the car's double tub design increases hauling capacity while reducing maintenance requirements. Tubs below the car lower the center of gravity, providing a smoother ride.

Today, coal is no longer sold at the volume it once was in the United States, and many coal carrying railroad cars have sadly been left to rust. Bethgon Coalporters could transport 44,000 pounds of these “black diamonds,” a necessity for the railroad in the era of a coal-driven country; therefore, a need of recycling these cars had to be found!

Since the use of grain for animal feed is popular for farmers in the western part of the United States, Bethgons proved up for the challenge and some were converted for use as a Protein Gondola. These covered gondolas are used in freight trains in the western and southern parts of the states in long, endless fleets providing useful feed for farm animals. Since the load of feed is biodegradable and therefore needs to be delivered as quickly as possible, trains carrying these long loads are given top priority on the rails.

Road Name History: In the early 70's sulphur was a very abundant yet low-value commodity and there were few markets for the product in Canada. Logistics for handling and transporting the element were chaotic, costly and unreliable. Sulphur producers were frustrated by the inability to dependably and efficiently access growing world markets.

As sulphur showed signs of escalating in demand and value, it became apparent that improved methods of transporting and handling the commodity were required. These new methods had to be cost efficient, environmentally sound and offer reliability and dependability to the sulphur industry and its customers.

In September of 1974, Petrofina, Shell Canada Resources and Hudson Bay Oil & Gas became key members of an eight-member industry task force. They developed a mandate for a producer-owned, independently managed, sulphur logistics service company, incorporating the business and offering shares to all interested producers. On December 16, 1975 Sultran Ltd. was incorporated as a private company with twenty-three shareholders holding 905,000 shares.

Much of the progress Sultran has made is the direct result of the investment of capital in system improvements. From the acquisition, renovating and building of facilities and the establishment of related companies, to the continuing purchasing and upgrading of equipment allowing operations to run smoothly, Sultran and its subsidiary company, Pacific Coast Terminals have been able to achieve significant results in their industry and have positive impacts on their surrounding communities and environments.

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.