“Postdog” asked, along with questions about modeling the Super Chief, a question about the difference between 2-bay and 3-bay covered hoppers, and also about knowing what freight cars to use based on what “logos” (heralds) they are painted with. I thought I should put the freight car question in a separate thread from the Super Chief thread that started it, so people looking for freight car info would see it.
A quick history of covered cars, at least through “transition era”
This is a 2-bay covered hopper, one that might have been used from the 1940s. Notice that is has square hatches on top, two hoppers or “bays” underneath. It was used especially for hauling HEAVY commodities such as cement that needed to be kept dry. Even when covered hoppers started being built larger, this size was still used for heavy dense commodities such as cement. Another point about this model” notice the small triangular openings near the middle of the car. This was an early covered hopper design. Later designs had those openings filled-in (or rather, not cut in the first place. Otherwise almost identical. Once the closed design came in, ATSF kept the older cars and BOTH kinds were used.) You asked about logos. This car is painted in “mineral brown” a standard color on the Santa Fe for many freight cars during the 1930s, 40s, 50s, up to the late 1950s. But some covered hoppers were light gray with black lettering. (In the late 50s, Santa Fe started using a bright Indian Red for specially equipped “damage-free” boxcars.) Also notice the small Santa Fe herald, the cross in the circle
Inside a square. This was used on Santa Fe freight cars from the early 1900s up through the 1950s. In the late 1950s, they started using a large circle-cross not in a square, bigger, bolder, cleaner, mored modern. At first this was used only on special cars such as the “damage free” and “Shock Control” boxcars. Starting in 1960s for most freightcars.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productin