Interchange: Allegheny Midland (freelance)

The Allegheny Midland, or Midland Road, was Tony Koester’s excellent coal-hauling model railroad before he decided to model the NYC&StL, or Nickel Plate Road. These AAR 70-ton, offset-side triple hopper cars are from a series of 500 cars numbered 39500-39999, and were built for the AM in early 1948, when the NKP bought a similar series of hopper cars. They lasted into the 1970s on the AM, and a few may still be seen in operation on various model railroads today.

Accuraii’s 7500-series hopper car.

As the 1940’s began, the Allegheny Midland needed new gondolas to handle war-time increases in freight traffic. In March, 1942, the AM purchased 150 AAR Class GB, 41’- 6” inside-length steel gondolas, with fixed ends and solid bottoms, from the Ralston Steel Car Company. After the war ended, many of the original gondolas were in bad shape. The AM purchased a follow-on order of 50 additional cars from Ralston in December, 1946. The cars, painted black with white lettering, were numbered in AM series 87600-87799, and had a nominal capacity of 50 tons. In 1953, some cars of the original order were rebuilt by the AM’s Sunrise car shop. Many of these cars were interchanged with other Eastern railroads in the Appalachian region and Midwestern states. The last car was retired in 1975, although several gondolas continued to be used as MOW rail and tie cars after that date. 

Accurail’s 3700-series 41’- 6” steel AAR gondolas with fixed ends and solid bottoms.