Commissioned By Brooklyn Locomotive Works

Production Type Special Run

Stock Number NSC 05-129

Original Retail Price $28.00

Brand Micro-Trains

Manufacturer Micro-Trains Line

Body Style Micro-Trains 056 Hopper Open 2-Bay Ribbed Side

Prototype Vehicle Open Hopper, 2-Bay, USRA 55 Ton (Details)

Road or Company Name Allegheny Midland (Details)

Reporting Marks AM

Road or Reporting Number 35167

Paint Color(s) Black

Print Color(s) White

Coupler Type MT Magne-Matic Knuckle

Coupler Mount Truck-Mount

Wheel Type Injection Molded Plastic

Wheel Profile Standard

Series Name Living Legends

Series Release/Issue Number 6

Release Date 2005-01-01

Item Category Rolling Stock (Freight)

Model Type Open Hopper

Model Subtype 2-Bay

Model Variety Ribbed Side

Prototype Region North America

Prototype Era NA Era II: Late Steam (1901 - 1938)

Scale 1/160

Track Gauge N standard

Specific Item Information: Dedicated to Tony Koesters.

Series Information: The "Living Legends" of Model Railroading.

The success of the "Heritage" cars prompted the NMRA to begin a special "Living Legends" series in honor of the principal figures still very much active in model railroading.

These cars were available in various scales.

Model Information: This model dates back to 1979, making it one of Micro-Trains' earlier releases. It features operating bay doors - a feature unqiue in N Scale to Micro-Trains hoppers. It models a two-bay steel hopper commonly seen during the transition era.

Prototype History: The USRA 55-Ton hopper was designed by the United States Railway Administration during World War I as a standardized hopper to be used by all railroads in order to aid the war effort. After WWI many railroads continued to use the USRA 55-Ton hoppers, as well as build many thousands more clones. The USRA hopper was in use on North American railroads from 1918 until the 1970’s

Road Name History: The Allegheny Midland (AM) - the Midland Road - is the name of a fictional railroad company created by Tony Koester and the HO scale model railroad he built featuring this railroad. Blending elements of Nickel Plate (NKP) equipment and operation with Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) structures and scenery, the AM would be the NKP's plausible West Virginia coal-hauler.

The Virginia & Ohio, the Allegheny Midland and the Virginia Midland later 'merged' to form the Appalachian Lines, a fictional railroad company where each of the individual railroad would keep its own visual identity.

Brand/Importer Information: Micro-Trains is the brand name used by both Kadee Quality Products and Micro-Trains Line. For a history of the relationship between the brand and the two companies, please consult our Micro-Trains Collector's Guide.

Manufacturer Information: Micro-Trains Line split off from Kadee Quality Products in 1990. Kadee Quality Products originally got involved in N-Scale by producing a scaled-down version of their successful HO Magne-Matic knuckle coupler system. This coupler was superior to the ubiquitous 'Rapido' style coupler due to two primary factors: superior realistic appearance and the ability to automatically uncouple when stopped over a magnet embedded in a section of track. The success of these couplers in N-Scale quickly translated to the production of trucks, wheels and in 1972 a release of ready-to-run box cars.

Micro-Trains Line Co. split off from Kadee in 1990 to form a completely independent company. For this reason, products from this company can appear with labels from both enterprises. Due to the nature of production idiosyncrasies and various random factors, the rolling stock from Micro-Trains can have all sorts of interesting variations in both their packaging as well as the products themselves. When acquiring an MTL product it is very important to understand these important production variations that can greatly enhance (or decrease) the value of your purchase.

Please consult our Micro-Trains Collector's Guide

Commissioner Information: Brooklyn Locomotive Works is 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.