Milwaukee, Wis. - Walthers announces a new series of PROTO 2000 4427 PS-2 CD High-Side Covered Hoppers with grain company and railroad paint schemes. These ready-to-run HO Scale models will be available in December 2007.

By the late 50s, grain shippers and railroads that handled large quantities of grain, were asking Pullman-Standard to develop a grain hopper. The result was the PS2-CD 4427. Features of the new car included a loading trough in the center of the roof line surrounded by a roofwalk, and three center discharge bays (the CD in the car's model designation) were installed, which allowed the car to be unloaded from either side. This was an improvement over earlier designs.

During the early 60s, over 10,600 of these hoppers became standard equipment for many railroads and lessors who operated large fleets. By 1966, P-S engineers had found a way to significantly improve the original design. Visually, the changes included raising the lower edge of the car sides and a new arrangement of 13 evenly spaced ribs. The changes reduced car weight, lowered production costs and improved access to the discharge gates and vibrator brackets.

The new high-side design was extremely popular and over 13,000 were constructed between 1966 and 1971. In service, the cars were ideally suited for grain hauling, but also carried salt, potash, fertilizer, feed and other medium-density commodities. By 2007, railroads have moved toward heavier, larger-capacity cars, but with their rugged construction, 4427s continue in both railroad and private-owner/lessor service on hundreds of lines that can't handle the weight of bigger cars.

PROTO 2000 4427 PS-2 CD High-Side Covered Hoppers are offered as fully assembled, ready-to-run models. Each car features an injection-molded body, full underbody detail, Barber S-2 100-ton trucks with 36" metal wheels, full NMRA recommended weight and magnetic knuckle couplers. Decorated cars are available individually and in limited-run two packs for a total of three roadnumbers per roadname.

Single Cars, $29.98 Each:
920-54675 MILW #97963
920-54676 Continental Grain #6281
920-54677 Cooperative Marketing #7556
920-54678 CNW† #170381
920-54679 Cargill #7279
920-54680 Peavey (TLDX) #6230
920-54682 MKT† #9796
920-54683 Undecorated

Limited-Run 2-Packs, $59.98:
920-254675 MILW #97960, #97975
920-254676 Continental Grain #6280, #6284
920-254677 Cooperative Marketing #7590, #7522
920-254678 CNW† #170695, #170720
920-254679 Cargill #7249, #7228
920-254680 Peavey (TLDX) #6234, #6236
920-254682 MKT† #9790, #9727

PROTO 2000 4427 PS-2 CD High-Side Covered Hoppers are part of Walthers extensive line of HO Scale grain industry models. The series includes PROTO 2000 EMD GP7 and GP9 locos in grain-hauling railroad roadnames, Walthers Gold Line™ freight cars and Cornerstone Series® grain handling structure kits and accessories. For more information on Walthers grain industry models, or to locate a dealer, visit Walthers on the Internet at www.walthers.com. Call 414-527-0770 or write Walthers, P.O. Box 3039, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3039.

†Union Pacific licensed product.