5 Bay Santa Fe hoppers still in use?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I have some of the Athearn 5 bay hoppers,
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH94615
I thought they had been pushed out by the coalporter style hoppers but I saw a picture on railpictures.net with 3 apparently loaded about 2/3 full of stone. Are they still used for coal as well or are they now in ballast or aggregate service?

2

Here’s the picture

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=215676&nseq=0

Just wondering whether to change the loads or is it actually snow on top of coal?

3

That style hopper is used to haul rock from a quarry here in Tulsa. Most of the cars have been relettered with WAMX reporting marks. I have seen every imaginable type of open hopper on the tracks at the quarry.

I am using these cars for my quary industry on my layout.

Hope that helps.

4

Thanks Mike

5

I have seen some of them here in Topeka hauling brand new ties.

Charlie