www.walthers.com -- press/2007/mather_stock

PROTO 2000™ 40' Mather Stock Cars

New Roadnames & Numbers for PROTO 2000 HO Mather Stock Cars

Milwaukee, Wis. - Walthers announces the release of PROTO 2000 40' Mather Stock Cars with new roadnames and roadnumbers in HO Scale. These models will be available as Time-Saver® kits and as ready-to-run models. Kits will arrive in July 2007 and ready-to-run cars will be available in October 2007.

Before the 1960s, livestock transportation was big business for North America’s railroads. Since most livestock moved from range loading pens to meat processors in the fall months, railroads were reluctant to purchase stock cars because they sat empty for much of the year.

The Mather Stock Car Company of Chicago had a solution to this problem. Mather offered the railroads a lease plan which included maintenance of the cars. The first cars owned by the Mather hit the rails in 1915. The cars were built on a modular basis (an innovative concept for the time) using proven components making them cheap to construct, economical to operate and easy to fix and upgrade. Asaresult of Mather’s efficient operations and equipment, the leasing fees were low and predictable. The cars operated into the 60s when livestock transportation moved to trucks and meat processing facilities decentralized and shipped more frozen meat in reefers and trucks.

PROTO 2000 Mather Stock Cars are detailed replicas of the cars owned by Mather. The cars include the distinctive Mather patent sheet-metal roof, open or closed ends, AAR standard underframe with AB brakes, weights concealed by interior floorboards, PROTO 2000 50-ton spring-plankless trucks, metal wheelsets and magnetic knuckle couplers. The cars are available in single- and double-deck variations as appropriate for each roadname, with both types offered in B&O and NP schemes.

Mather Stock Cars are available as Time-Saver kits designed for easy assembly, with smaller parts such as grab irons already in place. Also available as ready-to-run, each comes prepainted and lettered in authentic schemes that are perfect for steam and transition-era layouts. Each variation (kit or assembled) is offered in two roadnumbers for a total of four roadnumbers per variation/roadname. The latest releases include:

The new PROTO 2000 40' Mather Stock Car Time-Saver Kits will be available in July 2007 and assembled cars will arrive in October. For more information on PROTO 2000 freight cars and other Walthers HO Scale products, 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.

*CSX proprietary marks used by permission of CSX Transportation, Inc.


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