Frisco Offset Hopper #92398

MODEL INFORMATION
Company: Lionel
Product #: 6-27012
Gauge: Standard O
First Cataloged: 2007
Trucks: Die-cast, Sprung
Couplers: Die-cast, Operating
Notes: Part of 3 car, individually numbered, set 6-21881
Product Website

PROTOTYPE INFORMATION
Builder:
Era: 50's, 60's
Primary Use: Coal
Notes: As early as the late 1920s, the American Association of Railroads began designing standardized 50-ton open hopper cars.  These hoppers would ride the rails for decades.  The A.A.R standard 50-ton open hopper was classified HM, which designated it as a self-clearing open top car with two divided hoppers, fixed ends, fixed sides and doors hinged crosswise to allow dumping between the rails.  The cars became widespread on coal hauling railroads throughout the country, seeing service behind steam and diesel locomotives.

Tens of thousands of these cars were built in the first half of the 20th century and many lasted well into the diesel era and were pulled by all sorts of locomotives from 0-6-0s to mallets to modern six axle road switchers.

Frisco Offset Hopper #92397

MODEL INFORMATION
Company: Lionel
Product #: 6-27011
Gauge: Standard O
First Cataloged: 2007
Trucks: Die-cast, Sprung
Couplers: Die-cast, Operating
Notes: Part of 3 car, individually numbered, set 6-21881
Product Website

PROTOTYPE INFORMATION
Builder: Pullman Standard
Era: 40's, 50's, 60's
Primary Use: Coal
Notes: As early as the late 1920s, the American Association of Railroads began designing standardized 50-ton open hopper cars.  These hoppers would ride the rails for decades.  The A.A.R standard 50-ton open hopper was classified HM, which designated it as a self-clearing open top car with two divided hoppers, fixed ends, fixed sides and doors hinged crosswise to allow dumping between the rails.  The cars became widespread on coal hauling railroads throughout the country, seeing service behind steam and diesel locomotives.

Tens of thousands of these cars were built in the first half of the 20th century and many lasted well into the diesel era and were pulled by all sorts of locomotives from 0-6-0s to mallets to modern six axle road switchers.

As shown, cars were designed with enough volume to allow loading them with coal to maximum weight capacity.   They were used to haul anthracite for home heating, steam coal for power plants and factories and metallurgical coal for steel making. While coal was the primary product carried in these hoppers they were used for other products if a back haul was available. If a higher density material like rock or iron ore was carried the cars could not be loaded to full volume.

Frisco Offset Hopper #92396

MODEL INFORMATION
Company: Lionel
Product #: 6-27010
Gauge: Standard O
First Cataloged: 2007
Trucks: Die-cast, Sprung
Couplers: Die-cast, Operating
Notes: Part of 3 car, individually numbered, set 6-21881
Product Website

PROTOTYPE INFORMATION
Builder: Pullman Standard
Era: 40's, 50's, 60's
Primary Use: Coal
Notes: As early as the late 1920s, the American Association of Railroads began designing standardized 50-ton open hopper cars.  These hoppers would ride the rails for decades.  The A.A.R standard 50-ton open hopper was classified HM, which designated it as a self-clearing open top car with two divided hoppers, fixed ends, fixed sides and doors hinged crosswise to allow dumping between the rails.  The cars became widespread on coal hauling railroads throughout the country, seeing service behind steam and diesel locomotives.

Tens of thousands of these cars were built in the first half of the 20th century and many lasted well into the diesel era and were pulled by all sorts of locomotives from 0-6-0s to mallets to modern six axle road switchers.

Frisco PS-5 Gondola #61442

MODEL INFORMATION
Company: Lionel
Product #: 6-82862
Gauge: Standard O
First Cataloged: 2016
Product Website

PROTOTYPE INFORMATION
Builder: Pullman Standard
Era:
Primary Use:
Notes:

Frisco USRA Double-Sheathed Boxcar #128528

MODEL INFORMATION
Company: Lionel
Product #: 6-81837
Gauge: Standard O

First Released: 2014
Trucks: Die-cast, Sprung
Couplers: Die-cast, Operating
Notes: Plastic frame with metal underframe details.  Separately applied details including ladder and steps.
Product Website

PROTOTYPE INFORMATION

Builder: USRA
Era: 1930's to ?; #128528 built ?
Primary Uses:
Other Uses: 
Notes: 
Photo of Frisco #128522
Good Article at Lionel LLC blog

Frisco PS4427 Hopper #81424

MODEL INFORMATION
Company: Atlas
Product #: 3001357

Gauge: Standard O
First Released: 2012
Trucks: Die-cast, Sprung
Couplers: Die-cast, Operating
Notes: Full brakeline details.  Opening hatches with full working latch assembly. Separately applied wire grab irons.  See-through roofwalks.  The trucks are accurate 100-ton roller-bearing trucks with rotating bearing caps.
Product Website
Product Review

PROTOTYPE INFORMATION
Builder: Pullman Standard
Era: 1964 to present; #81424 built 1965
Primary Use: Grains including corn, wheat, flour, others
Other Uses: Carborundum grit, salt, clay, phosphates, and other medium-low density minerals and chemicals
Notes: The backbone car for many of the large grain hauling railroads as well as the car of choice for many leading companies.  
TrainLife - Car Spotters Guide #18
Freight Cars Illustrated - Reference Sheet #06

Frisco 3 Bay Open Hopper #88299

MODEL INFORMATION
Company: Lionel
Product #: 6-27078

Gauge: Standard O
First Cataloged: 2012 Signature Edition
Trucks: Die-cast, Sprung
Couplers: Operating
Product Website

PROTOTYPE INFORMATION
Builder: SLSF Springfield
Era: 1976 to present; #88299 built 1977
Primary Use: Coal, Ores
Notes: Built in Springfield, MO.  Series 87800-89179
Photo - Frisco #87880
Photo - Frisco #88034
Photo - Frisco #88050

Frisco F3 #5015

MODEL INFORMATION
Company: Lionel
Item #: 6-34630 (non-powered A unit)
Gauge: Standard O
First Cataloged: 2011 v1
Trucks: Die-cast
Couplers: Die-cast, Operating-Electric front
Length: 13"
Notes: This locomotive is the non-powered part of a two A unit set: #5010 powered and non-powered #5015. Both powered and non-powered B units were also available.
Command Control
Directional lighting including operating headlights
Fan-driven smoke unit
Die-cast pilots, fuel tanks
Metal frames
Pivoting diaphrams on rear
Separately applied metal details
Lighted number boards

Frisco F3 #5010

MODEL INFORMATION
Company: Lionel
Item #: 6-34630
Gauge: Standard O
First Cataloged: 2011 v1
Trucks: Die-cast
Couplers: Die-cast, Operating-Electric front
Length:
Notes: This locomotive is the powered part of a two A unit set; #5010 and non-powered #5015. Both powered and non-powered B units were also available.
Command Control
RailSounds sound system with CrewTalk and TowerCom announcements
Odyssey System for speed control
Directional lighting including operating headlights
Dual powerful maintenance-free motors with momentum flywheels
Four traction tires
Fan-driven smoke unit
Die-cast pilots, fuel tanks
Metal frames
Pivoting diaphrams on rear
Separately applied metal details
Lighted number boards

Frisco ACF 6 Bay Cylindrical Hopper #81015

MODEL INFORMATION

Company:  Atlas O

Item #:  6333-1

Gauge:  Standard O

Trucks:  Die-Cast, Sprung

Notes:  This hopper handles the 60" and 72" mainlines just fine, but the trucks hit the car on 36" curves.  It is a large - a scale model if the couplers and trucks are converted, and it is made for easy 2-rail conversion.

PROTOTYPE INFORMATION

Car Manufacturer:  ACF

Notes:  An early design of what would become the highly successful "Center-Flow" car.  Frisco had 25 of these cars: SL-SF 81000 thru SL-SF 81024.  The cylindrical design was expensive to build.  ACF soon modified their Center-Flow design into what has become a very common covered hopper in many sizes and capacities.