The Freight Yard - 9902A - Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, PS-2-CD 4740 - Quaker Oats - 10002

Model Information: Precision Master first released this body style in kit form. Later on, they released the same body as a RTR (Ready-to-Run) model. In 2005, Red Caboose acquired this tooling from PM. Red Caboose released this model in RTR form. The 4740 model can be distinguished from the 4750 model by counting the ribs. The 4740 has 16 ribs and the 4750 has 18 ribs. The ribs on the 4750 are a little chubbier as well.

In 2015, this tooling, along with all other Red Caboose N Scale molds, was acquired by Fox Valley, who has since produced at least one run of these cars. The recent Fox Valley releases (2017) have redone the underframe to carry body-mount couplers and blackened metal wheels - which is very nice to see and makes this model a 3rd generation piece of rolling stock.

Prototype History: Manufactured from 1966 through 1971 by Pullman Standard, the 4,740 Cu. Ft. Hoppers were considered the 'Standard of the Industry' at the time. Well over 13,000 cars were owned by numerous railroads and private companies during this time. Today, many of the cars are still in service under new ownership due to mergers and the constant changes of lessees and private owners. Features unique to this car include the 16 vertical posts on the car side, a flat roof with 4 center through hatches.
The 4,740 and 4,750 designs are often mistaken for each other, although the 4,750 has two more panels.

Road Name History: The Quaker Oats Company, or known as Quaker, is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by PepsiCo since 2001. Quaker Oats was founded in 1901 by the merger of four oat mills: Quaker Mill Company, teh Cedar Rapids Cereal Mill, the German Mills American Oatmeal COmpany and the Rob Lewis American Oats and Barley Oatmeal Corporation.

The company expanded into numerous areas, including other breakfast cereals and other food and drink products, and even into unrelated fields such as toys. In August 2001, Quaker was bought out by Pepsico because Pepsi wanted to add Gatorade to its arsenal of beverages and thus break into the isotonic sports beverage market. The merger created the fourth-largest consumer goods company in the world. Though the main prize for PepsiCo was Gatorade noncarbonated sports drink, Quaker's cereal and snack food division serves as a seemingly healthier complement to the existing Frito-Lay division of salty snacks.

From Wikipedia

Brand/Importer Information: The Freight Yard was a hobby shop that did custom decoration and special runs of other manufacturers' N Scale products. It sold its custom products under several brands or collections: Premiere Editions, by The Freight Yard and Dreams Design.
It was located in Anaheim, California and then moved to 2006 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Established in the late 1980s, it stopped business under this name by the end of the 2000s.
The Freight Yard was owned and operated by Darren J. Cohen. Darren is now operating North Valley Trains.
The Freight Yard / Premiere Editions runs are usually available in series of two to twelve different numbers (suffixed A to M, with I not used).
The first two digits of the stock number correspond to the release year (9x being 199x, and 2x being 200x).

Manufacturer Information: While they were in business, Red Caboose split its production runs between the US and China. Which models were produced where was a function of which body style and which run. Furthermore, which Chinese company was used for production is something we would love to find out.