Can anybody direct me to any details on the web about the earliest purpose built grain hopper cars to run in the US?
The reason for my request is that I am building a freelance New England narrow gauge layout, set in a later period than any of the actual lines survived (as per Dave Frary’s Carabasset & Dead River). Whilst the actual New England lines carried grain in boxcars (as did many of the standard gauge lines of the time) it is not inconceivable that had they survived and expanded then they would have developed purpose built cars to handle Canadian grain traffic.
Covered hoppers for grain service didn’t start showing up on American rails until the late 1960s, and didn’t really take off until the early 1970s. Even as late as 1980 or so, some grain still moved by 40’ box. And ALL class one’s (and every other road) moved grain by 40’ box up through the mid-1970s.
Some covered hoppers were buily fairly early on (1940s) to carry flour, but they were in dedicated service, and wouldn’t have been used for any old grain shipment.
Probably the best single source, either online or off, for general freight car history, design, photos, rosters, etc., is the NEB&W website: http://railroad.union.rpi.edu
For $5 a month, you’ll get access to a great resource on freight cars, from about 1900-1970 (and in certain cases, later). While not all-inclusive (it’s a work in progress), it’s still a VAST amount of information. Go to the section on covered hoppers, and you’ll find about what you’re looking for.
I grew up on a farm in West-Central Missouri in the 1970’s and we purchased feed, both bulk and sacked, from a company that shipped by rail. These were both shipped at that time in boxcars. I can remember as a kid going to town and unloading feed directly from the boxcar on a team track by the feed mill onto our trucks. This was quite a thrill of course for a 6 or 7 year old railfan.
Small covered hoppers were built in the 1930’s. By 1950 my employer had a fleet of two bay covered hoppers.These cars were similar to the Bowser model.
There were some 40’ Grain Box cars built in the late 50’s, early 60’s. Athearn offers them. The item number is in the 209x series. They got plug doors with a grain door and inspection door inserted in the plug doors. Walther has offered common box cars in the past with boards across the door opening as was done for grain. It’s also simple enough for you to do it your self on your box car fleet.
There were covered hoppers in the 1930s (some even earlier) but they were for powdered commodities, not grain.
One reason why 40 foot boxcars in grain service lasted well into the covered hopper era is that small grain elevators tended to be located on branch lines and very old spurs that were often used only in the spring for fertilizer delivery and in the fall for grain shipments. The grain business was very decentralized then
The big 100 ton covered hoppers were not suited to such track. More and more grain terminals are in large centrally located areas often with newly laid track but that is a fairly recent development.
Dave Nelson
Santa Fe went to the 47’ 3-bay covered hoppers with the GA-90 introduced in 1954.
note: originally bought NOT for grain, but for barley, oats,
carbon black, rice & light soda ash
GA-93 “single bay” Airslide in 1955 for flour and finely granulated material. About as long as 2-bay cov hopper.
GA-94 3-bay in 1956
GA-111 3-bay in 1958
GA-113 3-bay in 1959
etc.
Earlier, Santa converted hoppers originally built as open to “roofed” hoppers, AAR classification HTR.
CLASS GA-21
Triple open hopper, offset sides blt 1929 ACF
converted to roofed hopper 1941
CLASS GA-24
Ralston open quad hopper 1929
converted to roofed hopper 1945 w BX-8,-9,-10 roofs
There was an article on kitbashing this car in Model Railroader in the June, 1947 issue, p.476, if you have all your old magazines handy.
Can anybody direct me to any details on the web about the earliest purpose built grain hopper cars to run in the US?
The reason for my request is that I am building a freelance New England narrow gauge layout,/quote]
neilmac-’
since you are following a ‘what if’ scenario premise for your RR why not use the early 2 Bay Cvd Hoppers produced by Gen American in 1946 and PS/ AC&F types that follow?
The DRGW bought these to haul cement- high weight ratio of course but just as useful as the earliest grain hoppers. Whose to say your RR didnt have an[:0]exceptional talent for creative application and test them for grain.
The DRGW was not a granger road is often quoted yet they ended the 70’s with hundreds of 3 Bay/100T lease hoppers for just that and more. Lined hoppers for ‘powdered’ products were the exception- so to justify your ‘position’ ear;y adoption of the ‘new techncology’ cuould be a possibility.
I note also that apparently the RG had ‘home grown’ covers on ‘ancient’ 2 bay hoppers (may have been composites) that the above 1946 purhcases were to replace, so you could always scratchbuild some unique covers and hatches on cheaper 2 bay cars models available now.
regards, dave