• Top Collectibles List
    CNW and Private hoppers starting to catch high price tags...

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    TOP 5 PRIVATE HOPPERS  ( Top 5 CNW HOPPERS listed below)

  •     1-RALSTON JEFFERSON IOWA - Released over ten years ago by Athearn as a limited run kit, this popular hopper has not been re-released since.  Two showed up on ebay and both went for over $30 after shipping each.  One custom Intermountain hopper in HO scale (plastic) went for $148 plus shipping, making it number one on the list for collectable hoppers.   The only way to easily acquire one is to custom paint one and use Herald King decals.
  • 2-SUPERIOR ELEVATOR CO, SUPERIOR IA - Originally a Bev Bel /Athearn blue box kit, Superior has not since been released.  The car has shown up twice on ebay, fetching $32 and $39 each time.  No decals are available to custom make one.  Shown in the picture is a custom car with custom decals. 
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  • (no pic)                                                               -3 FARMERS' COOP CO, CRESTON IA (pink) -  Have never seen one for sale, but I did see one on display, so they obviously exist... In the mid 1990's the railroad club  in Creston Iowa sold an Athearn PS-2 hopper lettered for Creston Farmers' coop in pink.  They are pretty hard to find, making it third on my list.  If I saw some prices, it would probably be higher.
  • 4-ATHEARN PRIVATE OWNER SERIES PS2 12 PK - Due to the age of this release, most of the cars from Athearn's 12 pak are pretty collectible.   Creston and Pomeroy seem to be the hardest to find, followed by Albert City and Northwood.  The original Eagle Grove is a good find, as the re-release had a very dark paint scheme on it (and was FMC).  Chester seems to be the least popular, and Farnhamville may be the least collectible, due to the numerous cars that are still available today.
  • 5-GOODSEED GRAIN & CO, HAMBURG IA- This quirky car from Bev-Bel is pretty hard to find and seems to be bringing +$20 prices on ebay.  It can also be re-created with Oddball decals for fans along the I-29 corridor.
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  •     More models that are getting harder and harder to find:
  •             A)  MID IOWA COOP- Original roundhouse kit was not re-released by Athearn like most Iowa hoppers.   This is showing up less and less on ebay.
  •             B)  Dicken's Iowa - The only intermountain release to make the list, Dickens is quickly becoming harder to find on ebay and in hobby shops.
  •             C)  Walthers' "Clinton Corn Processing" Airslide hopper has been fetching over $25 on ebay and is showing up less and less.  It is also a break from the standard PS2 & FMC offerings, and probably belongs higher on the list.
  •             D)    Roundhouse "yellow" Farnhamville Iowa FMC covered hopper- I hate to put a non-prototypical car on the list, but the yellow Farnhamville cars are pretty hard to find, and despite never existing in real life, are getting pretty good coin online.

    TOP COLLECTIBLE CNW HOPPERS
  •    -1-  INTERMOUNTAIN "blue" limited run CNW PS2 covered hopper:  This limited run rarely shows up on ebay, raking in over $40-$50 with shipping on many of the winning bids.
  •    -2-  INTERMOUNTAIN /CNWHS Limited Run "Olive Green" CNW PS2 covered hopper-  The prototype was originally painted for Cargill and then purchased for the CNW.  As a break from the typical gray, yellow or green hoppers, this release is a nice option.  These items very rarely show up on ebay and are no longer available from CNWHS.
  •     3-  ATHEARN   PS-2 Clinton Shops repainted CNW green hopper - While apparently just another green CNW hopper at first glance, this rare model was released as the post 1992 Clinton IA shops repaint with modern lettering unique to those repaints and a "newer" style CNW logo.  These cars were only available as a blue box kit, and later only released in "RTR" as part of a five car PS2 set, and not as single cars.   The five car set has only been available a few times on ebay, and I haven't seen them at the local train show at all.
  • 4-  ATHEARN   FMC RTR CNW "blue" patched Percival Grain covered hopper-  This car was not released as a single car, and only available in a five-pack, which also came with a CNW "patched" Klemme car, and a standard yellow and green CNW FMC car.  
  • 5-  ATHEARN   FMC RTR CNW "new yellow" covered hopper - I've never seen these offered up on ebay or in a hobby shop.  While "new yellow" offerings are available everywhere from Bev-Bel on ebay to recent Intermountain listings, this FMC offer is quite rare and appears to be in a Clinton Shops repaint style.  Its extremely limited availablity got it on the collectible list.
  • 5B) CNWHS/ Intermountain Clinton Shops repainted green trinity covered hopper - This years' offering is already sold out.
     
  • Others almost making the list are:
  • A) Atlas Thrall RI Bankruptsy blue CNW patch car - Available only in a three pack, you have to buy two zito yellow Thrall cars to get this limited run car as a group
  • B) Intermountain/Armarillo RR Museum RI Bankruptsy Blue PS2 covered hopper - These are still available on ebay but are reportedly a limited run of 300 cars.  These should soon be very hard to find.