Brooklyn Locomotive Works - BLW-65339-B2 - Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, Thrall 4750 - Klemme Coop Grain - 4241

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: Klemme Coop (Cooperative) was a grain elevator in Klemme, Iowa. The elevator was built in 1977. It was acquired by 3 different co-ops including Farmer’s Cooperative New Hampton in 2001. Eventually Farmer's took sole ownership. Farmer's Cooperative New Hampton changed names to Five Star Cooperative in 2003.

Brand/Importer Information: Brooklyn Locomotive works is a hobby shop that is located in Manalapan, New Jersey. Pete A. Postel founded BLW in 1979. They specialize in N Scale although they claim to cover other scales as well. In addition to serving as a volume discounter with competitive pricing for N Scale hobbyists, Brooklyn Locomotive works also often works with various manufacturers to create their own line of branded special runs. These special runs are usually only available through their retail operation (online or storefront). They also worked for a limited time in the early 1980s as a custom decorator. They bought undecorated kits from Micro-Trains and painstakingly custom painted and decaled a series of cars for collectors.

Commissioner Information: Brooklyn Locomotive Works was a hobby shop, specialized in N-scale, located in Manalapan, New Jersey, that also sells on-line. BLW regularly commissions special runs.

The company was founded by Pete Postel who announced that he would retired by end of 2018. His brother Paul should continue the business from his own shop Hogtrainz.com.

Brooklyn Locomotive Works (BLW) released special runs from various manufacturers under its own brand until approx. the mid-1980s. Thereafter the special runs where sold under the manufacturer's name and denoted as special runs for BLW. Hence in this database, we assign the BLW brand in the former case, and the original manufacturer's brand in the latter.