ScaleTrains - SXT31358 - Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, Gunderson 5188 - Burlington Northern Santa Fe - 485356

Model Information: ScaleTrains first announced this model in early 2018 and first delivered it in October of 2018. It is a highly detailed model of a 4-bay covered hopper car. It features: Up to 22 different road numbers; Photo-etched stainless steel see through roofwalk with metal grab irons; Photo-etched stainless steel see through end platforms; Factory-applied trainline pipe; Separately applied brake cylinder and linkage, control valve, air reservoir.; Brake wheel, stand, and chain; Plastic semi-scale Type E lower knuckle couplers – Micro-Trains® compatible; ASF Ride Control trucks with finely rendered raised foundry data; Minimum radius: 9 ¾”; Recommended radius: 11”; Photo etched stirrup steps; Body mounted coupler box that can accept Micro-Trains® 1015/1016 type couplers.

Prototype History: Grain and grain products are one of the leading commodities hauled by railroads today. Typically carried in covered hoppers, designs have evolved over the years to increase the efficiency of handling this vital commodity. One of the more popular designs to emerge in recent years is the Gunderson-GIMSA/Concarril 5188cf Covered Hopper. Car Height, extreme: 15’ 6”. Length, over couplers: 52’ 10 1/8”. Cubic Capacity: 5,188 cu. ft.. Light weight: 62,000 lbs.

The Gunderson 5188cf is a large 3-bay hopper that measures 58’ over the coupler centers and is built to fit within the Plate C clearance diagram. These all-steel cars feature a capacity of 5,188 cubic feet and are equipped with trough-style loading hatches for efficient loading. The hatch covers can either be made of metal or non-metal materials depending upon customer specifications. Each of its three bays features a 30” x 30” outlet opening, which can be outfitted with a variety of outlet types depending upon customer requirements and/or commodities to be handled.

With the production of these cars starting in 2007, they have gone through several design changes including the quantity and width of panels used to construct the car sides, addition of two or four large horizontal ribs on the car sides, and placement and design of pulling loops.

From ScaleTrains.com

Road Name History: The BNSF Railway (reporting mark BNSF) is one of the largest freight railroad networks in North America, second to the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) (its primary competitor for Western U.S. freight), and is one of seven North American Class I railroads. It has 48,000 employees, 32,500 miles (52,300 km) of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide high-speed links between the western and eastern United States. BNSF trains traveled over 169 million miles in 2010, more than any other North American railroad.[2] The BNSF and UP have a duopoly on all transcontinental freight rail lines in the Western U.S. and share trackage rights over thousands of miles of track.

According to corporate press releases, the BNSF Railway is among the top transporters of intermodal freight in North America. It also hauls bulk cargo. For instance, the railroad hauls enough coal to generate roughly ten percent of the electricity produced in the United States.

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, the railroad is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

The creation of BNSF started with the formation of a holding company, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation on September 22, 1995. This new holding company then purchased the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (often called the "Santa Fe") and Burlington Northern Railroad, and formally merged the railways into the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway on December 31, 1996. On January 24, 2005, the railroad's name was officially changed to "BNSF Railway," using the initials of its original name.

In 1999, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Canadian National Railway announced their intention to merge and form a new corporation entitled North American Railways to be headquartered in Montreal, Canada. The United States' Surface Transportation Board (STB) placed a 15-month moratorium on all rail mergers, which ended this merger.

On November 3, 2009, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway announced it would acquire the remaining 77.4 percent of BNSF it did not already own for $100 per share in cash and stock - a deal valued at $44 billion. The company is investing an estimated $34 billion in BNSF and acquiring $10 billion in debt. On February 12, 2010, shareholders of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation voted in favor of the acquisition.

Brand/Importer Information: ScaleTrains.com, Inc. is an upstart HO and N Scale model manufacturer that was founded by a team with more than 125 years of accumulated experience in the model railroad hobby and industry.

ScaleTrains is specifically focused on the tiny details in the printing and quality of the construction. The four friends who founded the company are all avid modelers themselves. Their factory is located in Tennessee. Unlike most other companies, they offer a range of different levels of complexity in their offerings so as to be able to provide products for both the budget-conscious collector as well as the detail-focused model enthusiast without compromising on quality for either.

They range covers the following, by increasing level of detailing:

1. Operator™ trains are built for modelers who enjoy running high-quality, realistic trains at an affordable price. Designed from builder’s drawings and photographs, Operator models have fewer factory-applied parts and simplified printing. For added versatility, super-detail parts are available separately.
2. The Rivet Counter™ line strives to create the most accurately detailed models imaginable. The real-world counterpart is meticulously researched to ensure prototype fidelity. Each model features numerous factory applied parts including roadname and road number specific details whenever possible.
3. Museum Quality™ models are historically accurate replicas of the most famous locomotives in North American railroading history. Exhaustive research and a commitment to perfection combine to create the ultimate scale model. Museum Quality trains establish new standards which make them just as legendary as the original.