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Let us take some of the stress out of holiday gift buying this season by giving you more time to qualify for price adjustments. Price adjustments on purchases are available 10/8/2022 until 12/25/22. If an item you buy has a price reduction before Christmas, we will credit the difference upon request, so you can shop confidently knowing your price is guaranteed.
All credits will be issued as Loyalty Club Points on your Tower Hobbies account.
For the first half of the 20th century, bulk goods were usually bagged and carried in boxcars. After the late 1940s, covered hoppers greatly simplified the process by allowing the bulk material to be poured in through the roof hatches and dumped out the hopper bays. However, flour, starch, sugar and plastics do not “flow” easily from a standard hopper bay.
To solve this problem, the Fuller Company of Catasauqua, PA, patented the Airslide concept. In an Airslide covered hopper, the bays are formed into two narrow, steep-sided troughs with a layer of air-permeable material at the bottom. Air is pumped through the material causing the lading to fluidize and flow easily through the hopper outlets.
Starting in 1953, General American Transportation began building Airslide covered hoppers. One of the two original configurations was a 2,600-cubic foot, single-bay car with a 70-ton capacity. In addition to railroad-owned cars, there were several Airslide covered hoppers leased by GATC to sugar and bakery companies. Later, larger cars were introduced as the railroads continued to improve their infrastructure. To extend the useful lives of the smaller 2600 cuft cars, some of them were permanently connected in 2-unit drawbar sets. The drawbar sets operated as a single car, and therefore had a whopping total capacity of 5200 cuft- although their substantial length was a notable drawback.
The points displayed will be earned based on your membership level, and the cost value of the product. Be sure you Sign In to your account to see the most accurate points estimate for your purchase. Points are awarded and available for use once your order entire has shipped complete.
Points displayed here do not include bonus points for select products. If the product is marked with the Bonus Points Badge below, you will earn the extra bonus points listed in the banner in addition to the calculated points displayed.
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