Pillsbury 4-Bay Cylindrical Hopper Blue....Finally!

One of 4 (!) Pillsbury Hoppers bought at Van Horne Hobbies.

You may recall that almost exactly 6 years ago I posted a few photos of brand new Pillsbury hoppers I saw in the Havelock Yard sometime in the mid-1970s. Then in the late fall of 2023 I posted about a micro-layout I built based on a mash-up of my current and old memories of Havelock Yard.

One of many Pillsbury Hoppers seen at Havelock Yard in the mid-1970s.
This photo is a restoration by Gemini of one of my old snapshots.
Yes, the trucks on the prototypes were blue, so the models need a little updating.

I never finished the scenery on that layout. I seemed to be looking for the right inspiration, but couldn't find it. Nevertheless, I've been looking for Pillsbury hoppers for it ever since installing the last piece of track. And John has too!

The Havelock Yard layout patiently waiting on the wall to be finished.

The search came to an end on a recent trip to Van Horne Hobbies when John saw a Pillsbury Hopper in the front row of one of the many, many display cabinets in the store. It turned out there were 4 hoppers: I bought 3 and John bought 1, as a souvenir of the long search for these things finally coming to an end.

The fleet lines up for a glamour shot along the Havelock Yard's display track.

These freight cars are made by InterMountain and are quite beautiful items. I saw their big brothers in Havelock Yard when they were more-or-less brand new, so they aren't going to be weathered. I think the only thing I'll do is paint the trucks blue to match those on the prototype if I can find the right shade.

But before we head back to Havelock via Laval, let's take a side trip to Chicago: