Walthers HO Mather Stock Car - AC&Y (920-54626)

Vintage Cars Complement Steam-Era Consists

For nearly 100 years, railroads moved all kinds of livestock from western ranges to eastern markets. For most roads however, this traffic was limited to just a few weeks each year. And since stock cars didn't lend themselves to handling other loads, most railroads were reluctant to invest in such specialized cars that were needed only for short periods. From 1915 on, many roads found it easier to lease stock cars from the Mather Stock Car Company of Chicago on an as-needed basis. Built to it's own modular design (which was considered quite radical at the time), Mather cars were simple to repair or rebuild, and these cost-saving measures were reflected in lower lease rates to customers. Some of these venerable cars were still running in the 1960s, until changes in the meatpacking and processing industry all but eliminated the need for stock cars. Featuring new roadnames and numbers, these detailed cars come equipped with single- or double-deck details as appropriate for each roadname, plus appropriate trucks with metal wheels and magnetic knuckle couplers. For extra realism, cars have scale size handrails and grab irons. Correct weight provides optimum operation. These assembled Mather Stock Cars feature two additional roadnumbers that don't duplicate those on Time-Saver® kit versions, so they're ideal for prototype operations on your layout