

Long Island HO Scale MTH HO 70-Ton Center Discharge High Extension Ore Car
Overview
Unlike conventional coal hoppers, the prototypes of our ore car, originally built in the 1940s and '50s, used a construction technique that would later revolutionize grain hoppers: eliminating the center sill that normally formed the basis of a freight car underframe, in favor of heavier side sills that supported the weight of the car. This made room for "center discharge" hopper doors positioned lengthwise under the car, to dump the load neatly between the rails at ore docks.
Until World War II, ore cars generally carried "direct shipping" ore: ore that was rich enough in iron (60% or more) that it could be shipped direct to steel mills as a raw material. By the end of the war, however, the richer ore deposits began to play out. Lower-grade taconite, once considered a waste product of mining, became the raw material of choice, and by the mid-1960s accounted for the majority of ore shipments. Rather than being shipped as raw ore, taconite is refined and rolled into small pellets containing about 65% iron. Because taconite pellets are lighter than direct shipping ore, many railroads have increased the interior volume of their jennies by adding short extensions to the tops of the cars.
M.T.H. Electric Trains' HO premium rolling stock like 70-ton center discharge ore car are true 1/87 scale models of North American freight cars. Abundantly detailed with separate grab irons, steps and brake wheels ensure that these models will hold up to even the most discrminating eye. Outfitted with smooth rolling trucks and Kadee couplers make them a favorite of operators who enjoy long consists of colorful liveries, each available in multiple car numbers.