ScaleTrains - SXT33238 - Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, Gunderson 5188 - Chicago St.Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha - 13578

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: 3-Bay grain hoppers are a common sight on European freight lines.

Road Name History: The CStPM&O was the result of the 1880 merger of the Chicago St. Paul & Minneapolis Railway and the North Wisconsin Railway. Two years after the merger, Chicago & North Western bought a controlling interest in the CStPM&O. The Chicago St. Paul Minneapolis & Omaha (known to locals as The Omaha Road) developed into a 1,700 mile system running from Elroy, Wisconsin (C&NW provided the connection from Elroy to Chicago) northwest to Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The mainline then turned southwest to Sioux City, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska. In addition there were important branches to Duluth, Minnesota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and several others. CMO was not a paper railroad but a largely independent operation from C&NW for the first 75 years. They had their own management, headquarters, locomotive and freight and passenger car fleets and sales force. There were some joint passenger routes with C&NW but that was also common on railroads that were not directly related. CStPM&O adopted some steam locomotive classes that C&NW did not and vice versa. Locomotive tenders were later adorned with the C&NW System logo but CStPM&O marks on the cab. Diesels received similar treatment. In 1957, C&NW officially leased the CStPM&O – finally turning it into a paper railroad. It was officially merged in 1972.

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.