The majority of the Southern Pacific's 28'-0" "Type I" Box Cars were originally built by the Carter Brothers Car Shops in Newark, California.. Their Perlite "Hopper Cars" were basically re-purposed boxcars with the necessary accoutrements to convert them into "Covered Hoppers".. The cars could be found with both 16 inch and 20 inch grabirons on their sides, (One or the other, mind you, not both on the same car..).. But because we're nuts for authenticity, we tooled both styles, creating yet another highly accurate Narrow Gauge FineScale Model Kit for our "Sn3" modeling friends.. An all injection molded with brass piping, cut levers and grabirons.. And of course, each kit comes with the beautiful "Thielsen" Arch Bar Trucks with our own much-closer-prototype-appearing "Proto-Contoured" Coined-with-Ribbed-Backs and "GRIFFIN DENVER" wheelsets, correct decals, and Genuine Kadee™ Couplers, of course! If "Slim Rails through the Sand" intrigue you, don't pass this one by! Check it out by clicking this link: www.p-b-l.com - Then click on "Rolling Stock" in the LH Menu Bar and scroll down to "R-31".. Check it out! You'll love what you see!

~ Latest Update Tuesday, October 25, 2022 ~

~ The S.P.'s "Perlite Hoppers" ~
( Re-Purposed 28'-0" Carter Brothers "Type I" Boxcars )

Since the Espee Narrow Gauge cars could be found with either 16" or 20" grab irons on their sides, we elected to tool both types, differentiating between the two by adding the suffix "16" or "20" to their part numbers.. The car shown here has 20" grabs.. But at least 3 out of the 8 Perlite Cars had 16" side grabs, and though 4 inches doesn't seem like much of a difference, when coupled together, it's quite obvious.. Click the above photo to scroll through some random pics we assembled for your enjoyment.. Pic number 4 is a rare, color photo which grahically illustrates the differences between the 16" and 20" grab'd cars..
From its lacy looking "Thielsen" type Arch Bar Trucks to its lack of "Turnbuckles" and short, (even by narrow gauge standards), 28'-0" length, the car pictured above represents what was the "norm", rather than the "exception" on the S.P.'s narrow gauge "Stepchild" that plied the Owens Valley..

This model weighs in at right about 3.5 ounces.. It comes complete with the accurately scaled, easy-to-assemble, ( Read Snap Together ) free rolling "Thielsen" Type trucks you see, moulded in that engineering plastic we use for this purpose, "Celcon".. And of course, our unique Proto-Contoured Coined-with-Ribbed-Backs and "GRIFFIN DENVER" Faces, free rolling nickel plated brass wheelsets are included!

All parts of this model kit, save for the hand grabs and piping are injection moulded in either high impact styrene plastic, or ABS, neither of which will warp, shrink, or crack with age like many other mediums.. Proper Thin Filmed Decals and Genuine Kadee® #156 "Whisker" Couplers are also included, of course...

Click Here to read a short history of the "Espee's" Narrow Gauge operations..