AAR Classifications for Covered Hoppers?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Okay, maybe I’m being the doofus here, but…

I’ve been going through the AAR Classifications for freight cars (available here on Trains.com and elsewhere) and for the life of me I can’t find squat on Covered Hoppers.

There are a zillion classifications for every type of open top hopper (or box car or reefer) but not much on covered hoppers (or hoopers, as I keep mistyping).

Are covered hoppers all lumped together like tank cars (TA)?

Am I missing something?

Or am I being thick?

Any insight much appreciated. Thanks…

2

Try LO.

Ed

3

So there’s just one?

Why so many for open top and just one for covered?

4

For a covered hopper, it is usually “LO”. Look under specialty cars on:

http://home.cogeco.ca/~trains/rraar79.htm#Hopper

Mark

5

First time I’ve come across that one.

Thanks.

6

Today’s trivia: covered hoppers are now the most numerous type of railroad car in the USA.

Mark

PS - I prefer the days when boxcars were the most common.

7

Be aware that AAR classifications have changed/evolved over the decades. So one needs consider the era they are modeling when assigning classifications.

Mark

PS - And I am no expert on this subject.

8

I have seen that designation for what I call a “roofed” hopper, one originally built as an open hopper to which a roof was added at a later date.

Here is some information I have assembled on Santa Fe “roofed” hoppers.

CLASS GA-21, Triple open hopper, offset sides blt 1929 ACF, converted to roofed hopper 1941.

#182110-182134 listed as roofed Jan43EqptReg 25 cars, #181000-181074 open Jan43EqptReg 75 cars

#181000-181074 listed as roofed Apr54EqptReg 75 cars,

#181000-181074 listed 61EqptReg as 48 roofed, 27 roof removed

#181003 listed Oct71EqptReg 1 open hopper remaining

mention of roofed hoppers, Santa Fe Modeler 1Q87 p.17

data: Santa Fe Prototype Modeler JanFeb77 p.4

photo 182128 “The Railroad”(Santa Fe PR Dept publication 1958)p.13

“roofed” hoppers/ offset sides are prominent in medium distant shot in San Bernadino yard pic,early 1950s Warbonnet 1Q 2000 p.21

diagram GA-21 Santa Fe Paint & Letter Guide p.66

description of open hopper as resembling Ulrich HO model: Santa Fe High Iron JanFeb73 p.8

Ad photo of open-version model: Southwestern Prototype Modeler JulAug74 p.30

N model: Concor 3-bay offset-side open hopper

GA-21 and GA-43 “roofed” hoppers. History, review and model pix using Sunshine Models kit to convert coal hoppers. Warbonnet 4Q99 p.29

GA-21 #181040 bldr photo Warbonnet 4Q 05 p.35

CLASS GA-24

Ralston open quad hopper 1929

#181075-181149 listed Jan43EqptReg as open hoppers- 75 cars

converted to roofed hopper 1945 w BX-8,-9,-10 roofs

Listed Ap