HO Ballast hopper

My dad and i were at the Heritage Country Club show a few years back (in Johnson City) and he picked up a NYSW ballast hopper, which sat on my desk for that entire time, due to the fact that the doors on the bottom actually OPEN AND LOCK CLOSED because of this they caught up on the switches. Anyways, the previous owner had used a piece of roadbed and glued on some cinder ballast. I didn't like this, so i opened up the doors, and punched it out with a screwdriver. I replaced the couplers, and i am currently wondering what Athearn Genesis freight trucks should i use? The 70 or 100 ton? Im not sure when it was made, but judging from the coupler box, it was an Athearn. I'll try and see if it actually dumps the ballast (no, i havent tested it yet!) later on. I'll tell you all how it goes. I'll try and get pictures of it.

It actually dumps the ballast! this will prove most gelpful once we put ballast down. I need pictures of this. hmm...

Nice that you found an operating hopper. A friend of mine had a fleet of Tyco operating hoppers (I never understood the covered hopper they offered... what was the point?). Believe it or not, a "ballast train" is not the most effective way to apply ballast to your layout. It's actually more difficult, and you'll end up losing control over the product. You'll save yourself some headache if you just apply the ballast the old fashioned way.

hmm....good point, but i may just run it along first for nostalgia!