In case you missed it from the <whatever> thread...

OK folks, here is the link. Anyone with a Google log-in and the URL should be able to edit. I started the list, will add more, but feel free to do so if you have time or a hopper to report!

Rob

Surviving Standard Gauge 2-Bay Open Top Hopper Cars in North America
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Av3tbqxRM3zNdGtUcXVQS3hBbkc0dmpMYms5Q2gzN0E

Olin - Boy, your eyes are a heck of a lot better than mine! I can see some gray hopper cars in that photo, but no details. I looked for some other Birmingham Southern shots on the internet, but found nothing. Need someone from that area to furnish some info, or at least provide a pix or two.

Les

They may not belong to the Birmingham Southern. Vulcan Materials (VULX) has a small fleet of 2 bay rock hoppers, most appearing to have been Southern Pacific Class H-100-23, that are painted gray. Not 100% positive of the SP class for all of the similar cars; however, there is at least 1 car in a different VULX number series and red oxide paint that still has that class identifier. These cars have build dates of 4-70, 7-70 and 9-70 and were to have extended service (50-year) repairs made to keep them in the fleet, I guess through 2020.

Cars I documented included 2301 cu ft cars 2081-2088 (painted gray) and 2100 cu ft cars 9195-9196 (red oxide). Car 9195 still has the H-100-23 class designation. All of these are 10-panel cars with flat end panels. They look much older than they are.

Vulcan also has ex-SP Class H-100-29, 2300 cu ft #9192 (Blt 9-70?) and Class H-100-32, 2300 cu ft #9193 (Blt 1-76). These two cars have pointed end panels.

All of these cars were being used in rock service with full cars moving west out of Albany and empties moving back north. This was during most of 2008. I've not been where I could watch for these cars since mid-2010, so I don't know where they may be in service now. Maybe in the Birmingham area?

I was going through some old photos and I came across a couple that are of interest to this thread. The first shows an old Wabash 2 bay hopper car on the Toledo, Lake Erie & Western tourist line which runs out of Waterville, Ohio on an old NKP line. The photo on the back reads as follows:

"10-15-95 TLE&W hopper 702 (AEX 204) Providence, Ohio"

The gray-painted car in the photo is one of those "Panel Sided" cars that were common on the Wabash (and a few other railroads) and I believe that AEX was (is?) Anderson's, a grain elevator which is well known for purchasing and rehabbing old railroad equipment for their private use. At one time I believe Anderson's had quite a few of these old Wabash hopperson their roster. Does anyone know if this particular car is still in existance there on the TLE&W?

The second photo I found was one I remember taking on the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway and shows a similar car except that all, except for the very tops, of the side "panels" had been cut off for some reason making the car look more like a rib sidded car. I'm not sure if this is also a former Wabash car, but it certainly might be. Again, a similar question; is this particular car still in existance there on the ES&NA?

Les

Here's a photo of the car:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2575036

nictd1000 -

Note it's labelled as a "Buffer Car" and also that the hopper doors are permanently sealed. Built date appears to read 3/07, which perhaps is in error.

Les

Les,

There may be another panel side Wabash car lurking in Il.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wabashrailroadhistoricalsoc/message/5560

Fun stuff!

Rob

I ran across a photo of what looks like a 2 bay coal hopper that belongs to the Central New York Chapter of NRHS. The car is reported as being at the Martisco, NY train station museum. The photo on the CNY NRHS website states that the hopper is DL&W. The sides are a bit peculiar however as it looks like the car could have had ribs, but they appear cut off and replaced by steel strips. Also, the slope sheets don't seem to line up with the solid ends of the car. Finally, the weeds in the photo hide the hoppers; they seem to be there but can't tell for sure. I wonder if this car was rebuilt by the Lackawanna (or someone else) for other than coal service? Anyway, anyone know the story for sure? Or have a better photo?

Thanks.

Les

Les,

I think that is Rutland #764, the former DL&W car on the list, though I had it as being in Syracuse.

Added 3 abandoned cars to the list tonight:

2 in the woods in St. Bernards Parish, LA
1 at an old coke works in Shoaf, PA

Rob

Here's a shot of the two Milwaukee Road hoppers on the Dakota Southern.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8854749@N03/5557286149/


And a shot of three D&H ballast hoppers converted from 2 bay cars.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48094458@N ... otostream/

nictd1000 -

Looks like the Dakota Southern painted all the car numbers out on that hopper nearest the camera except one, making the car DSRC #7. Sure an interesting string of vintage freight cars there! These two Milwaukee Road hoppers look like they could have a larger capacity than the normal 50 or 55 tons. And maybe they were built a little later than most 2 bay hoppers. Thanks for locating the photo.

Les

One of the cars at the Coke Ovens of Chicamauga, GA

http://photos.igougo.com/things-to-do-p ... mauga.html

Another conversion from a 2 bay car.. DSRX 46, formerly BML 46, reported to be originally MEC

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2228590

And a LV hopper that's been covered.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1748965

Five hoppers are preserved at Colliery Lands Park in New Waterford, Nova Scotia. Four of these are two bay:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=First+Street+New+Waterford,+Nova+Scotia&hl=en&ll=46.250975,-60.096113&spn=0.001358,0.003168&sll=46.243145,-60.076504&sspn=0.043452,0.101366&hnear=1+St,+New+Waterford,+Cape+Breton+County,+Nova+Scotia+B1H+2Z8&t=h&z=19

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/47900/photo112.html

The hopper bottoms, doors, and all ladders and grab irons of each car were removed as a safety measure, since the cars are unattended. I think a fence might have been a better choice!

Perhaps somebody can identify the cars.

Steve Hunter

nictd1000 -

The 3 ex-D&H cars on the bridge at Concord, NH that have been modified with ballast doors are interesting. The photographer asked the questions; why are the cars there? To that I add are they still there, or at least still around? If so, who owns them these days?

I also went back to Alex Huff's original posting back in October of 2008 in which he said that there were 3 (not 2) of these ex-Milwaukee Road hoppers. Is the 3rd one further down the line of cars perhaps? Or is it now gone?

Les

nictd1000 -

The original report by "Newriver400" back in October of 2010 on the two hoppers cars at the Chickamauga coke ovens stated that he thought these were ex-Reading cars. Anyone know if that is true?

DSRX 46 may indeed be ex-Belfast & Moosehead Lake #46, but I don't think that the car was in coal service for that short line (are there coal mines in Maine?). That would seem to indicate that the B&ML probably got the car from a connecting carrier. Anyone know what line?

Finally, LV #30006 is a neat car but is it owned by Steamtown, or the railroad? If Steamtown, even if in ballast service, a paint and lettering job would be nice. BTW, the DL&W covered hopper is a neat car in its own right. Take both of these cars at our museum in a minute!

Les

Rob -

It this IS a Rutland car, sure has to be one of the few cars from that line still surviving.

Les