Roll Call two bay open top hopper cars

o anderson · **Posted:** Sun Jan 08, 2017 1:06 am

Here is another hopper car that is surviving as of 2013. It may be an iron-ore car, or a very early hopper. I do not recall this style elsewhere. Located in Minerva OH, where many old artifacts can be found, apparently. Hope it is preserved.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3619481

AlcoC420 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:17 pm **Posts:** 270

There are a couple of these around. They were built and used by American Aggregate in their sand and gravel quarries.

One I know of is on former N&W Railway trucks.

Howard P. · **Posted:** Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:40 am

That car looks very industrial-shop-built. It's lacking some standard interchange car features, as to safety appliances, etc. I strongly doubt this was ever in railroad interchange service.

Howard P.

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

Les Beckman wrote:

I just recalled that the Indiana Railroad Museum, which operates the French Lick, West Baden & Southern tourist train, had two two-bay hopper cars. Not sure of their heritage, or even if they are still there. Doesn't seem like we get much info posted on RyPN from members down there. Does anyone have any info on those two twin-bay hoppers?

Les

Well, as mentioned in another thread, I stumbled across some info about an old Erie business car at French Lick, and there in one of the photos in that Facebook page, was a two bay open top hopper car! Only one car, instead of the two mentioned in my question above, but one is better than none! The photo was taken in December of 2016, so fairly recent info (especially considering that my question goes back to October of 2008!). I can't post that photo here from Facebook, BUT the car looks in decent shape and has those "odd" peaked ends, which I'm not sure what they are called. The peak doesn't go all the way across the width of the car. If anyone has any idea what I'm talking about, please clue me (and us) in! Thanks!

Les

robertjohndavis · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am **Posts:** 2499

Les,

Those are heap shields. There were many varieties of them and they were mostly favored by roads in the south. Some of the variations seem to be generic shields, while others seem to have been adapted for dumper clearance.

Why did southern B-coal roads use them extensively while northeastern A-coal and B-coal roads used them sparingly? I don't know. I'll have to check Bob Kairig's book to see if he covers that.

All the best,

Rob

AlcoC420 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:17 pm **Posts:** 270

There were 2 of those 2 bay hopper cars at French Lick, unless they scrapped one in their recent scrapping program.

The cars are in fairly good condition, other than they have an arch to their frames. They came from Pullman Standard where they were used in impact testing of new freight car designs. The hoppers were loaded with sand and had a wood cover over them to keep the rain and snow out. They were pulled by a winch up an incline, let loose to roll in to test cars which would record impacts on the cars and car parts, such as the draft gear.

They may have even been new cars used there for years. I was involved in moving them over the highway and do not recall any markings on the trucks, though there maybe some.

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

AlcoC420 wrote:

There were 2 of those 2 bay hopper cars at French Lick, unless they scrapped one in their recent scrapping program.

The cars are in fairly good condition, other than they have an arch to their frames. They came from Pullman Standard where they were used in impact testing of new freight car designs. The hoppers were loaded with sand and had a wood cover over them to keep the rain and snow out. They were pulled by a winch up an incline, let loose to roll in to test cars which would record impacts on the cars and car parts, such as the draft gear.

They may have even been new cars used there for years. I was involved in moving them over the highway and do not recall any markings on the trucks, though there maybe some.

AlcoC420 -

Thanks for this additional info. Interesting that they came from Pullman Standard. Can we assume the P-S plant in Michigan City?

Les

Bill Hanslik Jr. · **Joined:** Thu Jun 22, 2017 3:08 pm **Posts:** 5

Back in 2012 (page 6 of this thread), there was talk of an offset hopper in Cecil OH formerly owned by the Indiana & Ohio and stored on the Maumee & Western. Does anyone know the present status/location/ownership of this car? I am part of an organization that is interested in acquiring a two bay offset hopper for their collection and this car, if it still exists, is a reasonable distance for us to consider moving by truck. Any information you might have on the present status of this car, especially contact info for its current owner, is very much appreciated. Thanks for your help!

Bill Hanslik Jr.

chrs112 · **Joined:** Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:13 pm **Posts:** 2

Les Beckman wrote:

AlcoC420 wrote:

There were 2 of those 2 bay hopper cars at French Lick, unless they scrapped one in their recent scrapping program.

The cars are in fairly good condition, other than they have an arch to their frames. They came from Pullman Standard where they were used in impact testing of new freight car designs. The hoppers were loaded with sand and had a wood cover over them to keep the rain and snow out. They were pulled by a winch up an incline, let loose to roll in to test cars which would record impacts on the cars and car parts, such as the draft gear.

They may have even been new cars used there for years. I was involved in moving them over the highway and do not recall any markings on the trucks, though there maybe some.

AlcoC420 -

Thanks for this additional info. Interesting that they came from Pullman Standard. Can we assume the P-S plant in Michigan City?

Les

Les,

While working on Erie 1 last weekend I took these pictures for you. I had to reduce their size to be able to upload quite a bit so if you want the bigger files let me know and I will get them to you when I get the chance.

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

Chris -

Thanks for the photos. They are great! The earlier info from AlcoC420 that the cars were Pullman Standard Car Company in-plant cars, seems to be confirmed by the trucks. Also appreciate the photo of the entire car. It looks to be in very good shape. Hope that the folks there at French Lick eventually give it at least a cosmetic restoration. I wonder if a lettering diagram of the cars when at P-S, might exist?

Les

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

I ran across this photo today and after checking through this long thread, I couldn't find any note that the car had been mentioned:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1714111

The location was Hamburg, New York and the photo dates back to 2009. However, I believe that there is a group located in that area called the Western New York Railway Historical Society. I checked their website and the have a lot of information about the equipment they own but only a note stating they own 35 pieces of "Miscellaneous Equipment" (including coal hoppers), but no other info or photos. Could PRR two bay hopper # 494739 be part of their collection, and does the car still exist?

Les

Scott Kwiatkowski · **Posted:** Thu Mar 15, 2018 6:56 pm

Les,

It is Hamburg, NY and as far as I know, owned by the group you mentioned and by Kevin K. in his separate post "2 bay hopper".

I think it is a GLa class. and it had a built date of 2-05, that's 1905......

I took some pictures of the car in September, 2011 it was near the I1. If I remember right I stopped in a local hobby shop near there and the guys inside knew of the group. I left my contact info and asked if they could pass it along. I also made some e-mail inquiries but never heard back. hint, hint.....

The car is in good shape but needs some love, and soon........... It's been a while since I was up there and am not sure if the car is still around.

Scott

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

Thanks Scott. Maybe someone from the WNYRHS could comment about the car. If there are no current plans for a restoration, perhaps they might consider finding a new home for it. Certainly there would be some interest in this historic Pennsy car. Hate to see it just sit there and continue to deteriorate.

Les

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

In a new thread about equipment at Valley Railroad, their Central Vermont hopper car CV # 20088 is mentioned. I found a photo of the car on the internet:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1709985

Looks like Valley uses it as a billboard at their Chester depot, but the car appears to be in good condition.

Les

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

I almost hate to update this thread as its start goes all the way back to 2008! BUT, there was a posting on the "Ahead of the Torch" Facebook site by T. J. Gaffney today concerning a two bay open top hopper in New Hampshire. T. J. thinks it might have originally been a New Haven hopper in the 116600 series. It currently is lettered and numbered as SJC 106 (I think) and may have ended up on the Lamoille Valley Railroad. I couldn't find any previous reference to the car in going through the 14 previous pages of this thread, but if I missed it, please accept my apologies. The car appears to currently have Western Maryland trucks. There is also a second hopper car behind this one , but T. J. didn't mention it, perhaps because he didn't think it's was also an ex-New Haven car. Also, not sure if that second car has two bays. Robert John Davis mentioned on the AOTT site that the car(s) may now be owned Conway Scenic. Any additional info certainly welcome. And sorry for restarting this old thread.

Les