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4/19/2024
 
 
 
 
 
By:Tom Beckett
Dates:1/1/1976 - 11/9/2018
Album Info:Photos of covered hoppers of all types, mostly in service, some not. Modelers, feel free to use these for prototype examples.
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Domino
Title:  Domino
Description:  Long before the 1980s, billboard cars were rare. It was quite a surprise to see this Domino Sugar car rolling into Binghamton on BFOA. Seen as the train slowly passes BD on its way into the D&H yard. ASRX initials are for American Sugar Refining, Amstar Corp, who produce Domino Sugar.
Photo Date:  5/15/1987  Upload Date: 4/24/2015 1:09:32 AM
Location:  Binghamton, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  726   Comments: 1
Hopper by night
Title:  Hopper by night
Description:  A group of us had gone to Cortland the night before the Marathon Maple Festival to get some night shots of the NYSW train, which was tied up at the station to be ready for the mornings action. We grabbed a shot of this CNW hopper too.
Photo Date:  4/5/1991  Upload Date: 3/17/2015 4:27:11 AM
Location:  Cortland, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Night
Locomotives: 
Views:  342   Comments: 1
Hopper by day
Title:  Hopper by day
Description:  This CNW covered hopper was spotted at a feed mill in Cortland the day of the Marathon Maple Festival. We had shot it the night before, and I could not resist the chance to get it in daylight as well.
Photo Date:  4/6/1991  Upload Date: 3/17/2015 4:25:06 AM
Location:  Cortland, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  370   Comments: 1
Big bird is a fan
Title:  Big bird is a fan
Description:  Apparently the big yellow bird is a fan of the big blue railroad, at least so it says on the side of this covered hopper leaving Allentown on ALEN.
Photo Date:  8/18/1991  Upload Date: 2/27/2015 2:56:31 PM
Location:  Allentown, PA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives:  CR 6737(SD50)
Views:  397   Comments: 1
Welcome Home!!
Title:  Welcome Home!!
Description:  It was still possible to find Erie Lackawanna equipment knocking around the Conrail system, but a real treat to find it on the EL. Most of the cars still in service by this time were the 1972 Bethlehem 77 ton hoppers, so this 100 ton grain hopper at the Binghamton Agway was a nice surprise.
Photo Date:  3/20/1993  Upload Date: 1/27/2015 9:45:58 PM
Location:  Binghamton, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  407   Comments: 1
C&EI hopper
Title:  C&EI hopper
Description:  This C&EI car was in a westbound UP train in Oregon in 1996-a long time after not only C&EI vanished into MP,. but after MP disappeared into UP
Photo Date:  4/15/1996  Upload Date: 6/5/2014 1:30:17 AM
Location:  Multnomah Falls, OR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Scenic,RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  360   Comments: 1
Green survivor
Title:  Green survivor
Description:  This ex MKT two bay hopper was westbound on 12T. Looks good if a little faded almost twenty years after the Katy disappeared into UP. The HLMX initials show as belonging to Helm Financial, Wells Fargo Rail, or First Union Rail, so could be any of those.
Photo Date:  12/8/2005  Upload Date: 9/1/2017 4:58:51 AM
Location:  Endwell, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  232   Comments: 2
Back home
Title:  Back home
Description:  This ex D&H grain hopper was in train 253. The territory is familiar, though it probably would not recognize the power pulling it.
Photo Date:  2/24/2006  Upload Date: 11/25/2017 5:47:10 AM
Location:  Harpursville, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Bridge,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  328   Comments: 1
Wheat stalk
Title:  Wheat stalk
Description:  This SOO wheatstalk hopper was on a local at Stilwell Ok on the KCS. For a while, export grain was coming off the DM&E, and would run in trains with a number of these attractive cars.
Photo Date:  3/8/2007  Upload Date: 2/3/2017 4:08:22 AM
Location:  Stilwell, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  264   Comments: 2
Long ago flag
Title:  Long ago flag
Description:  Now on its third owner, but still carrying the reporting marks of the second one, this ancient C&EI covered hopper rolls north on an H train north of Anderson Mo on the KCS.
Photo Date:  6/8/2007  Upload Date: 7/3/2016 4:59:55 AM
Location:  Anderson, MO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  250   Comments: 1
Fly BNSF
Title:  Fly BNSF
Description:  A pair of aircraft bodies ride on BNSF from Wichita to Seattle, seen here waiting to get into Alliance yard.
Photo Date:  9/19/2011  Upload Date: 1/21/2012 1:12:28 AM
Location:  Alliance, NE
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives:  BNSF 7517(ES44DC) BNSF 977(C44-9W) NS 8988(C40-9W) BNSF 1107(C44-9W)
Views:  618   Comments: 1
Stone car
Title:  Stone car
Description:  A Herzog bottom dump ballast car sits on the siding in Stilwell OK waiting for its train to make its next move.
Photo Date:  9/23/2014  Upload Date: 9/28/2014 2:59:30 AM
Location:  Stilwell, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  197   Comments: 0
Getting harder to find
Title:  Getting harder to find
Description:  An ATSF two bay hopper rolls under the bridge as it heads south on a BNSF train on the Ft Scott Sub. Rolling stock often takes a lot longer to get painted than locomotives, but this car is still in full ATSF markings almost 20 years after the merger. These are getting hard to find at this late date.
Photo Date:  10/18/2014  Upload Date: 11/5/2014 2:31:40 AM
Location:  Kansas City, MO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives:  CN 5636(SD75I)
Views:  280   Comments: 0
SP car
Title:  SP car
Description:  Battered from almost 20 years of being a UP car, this SP two bay hopper was westbound at Santa Fe Jct
Photo Date:  10/18/2014  Upload Date: 11/5/2014 3:14:32 AM
Location:  Kansas City, MO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Bridge,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  241   Comments: 0
Short line hopper
Title:  Short line hopper
Description:  A Winchester & Western 100 ton hopped rolls west on the UP
Photo Date:  10/18/2014  Upload Date: 11/5/2014 3:21:02 AM
Location:  Kansas City, MO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Bridge,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  240   Comments: 0
MKT car
Title:  MKT car
Description:  On the MKT yet. This grain hopper with MKT reporting marks was on a southbound at Chouteau OK. I miss the John Deere green hoppers.
Photo Date:  11/29/2014  Upload Date: 12/5/2014 2:51:21 AM
Location:  Chouteau, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  236   Comments: 0
Billboard
Title:  Billboard
Description:  There were a lot of elevator owned grain hoppers in service, many of which have found second lives elsewhere. This one was a Clay Center Coop car, now owned by KCS, and lettered TFM.
Photo Date:  1/16/2015  Upload Date: 1/29/2015 2:34:52 AM
Location:  Siloam Springs, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  336   Comments: 0
Coop car
Title:  Coop car
Description:  A one time farmers coop grain hopper, now owned by a Riverport Railroad LLC, is on the local at Siloam Springs. There were many such elevator owned cars roaming the rails at one time.
Photo Date:  2/7/2015  Upload Date: 2/13/2015 2:24:20 AM
Location:  Siloam Springs, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  268   Comments: 0
N de M car
Title:  N de M car
Description:  This Nacionales de Mexico car was southbound on a grain train at Watts. There are still some of these kicking around on the KCS, and often return to their homeland.
Photo Date:  2/9/2015  Upload Date: 2/13/2015 2:29:12 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  277   Comments: 0
Wheat Board car
Title:  Wheat Board car
Description:  The Canadian Wheat Board bought a fleet of grain hoppers to assure car supply during peak periods, mostly at harvest time. The cars carried this attractive paint scheme, and CP and CN reporting marks. One of the CP cars is southbound on the H train at Watts.
Photo Date:  6/20/2015  Upload Date: 10/25/2015 2:07:25 AM
Location:  Westville, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  215   Comments: 0
Belle
Title:  Belle
Description:  A Belle scheme covered hopper on a southbound waiting at Stilwell.
Photo Date:  9/27/2015  Upload Date: 10/8/2015 1:46:17 AM
Location:  Stilwell, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  199   Comments: 0
New car
Title:  New car
Description:  KCS has been taking delivery of new covered hoppers. This one was on a southbound waiting for a meet at Stilwell. They are the typical plain paint job found on most covered hoppers, and not the Belle scheme on several recent orders. The build date on this one was August 2015
Photo Date:  9/27/2015  Upload Date: 10/8/2015 1:44:58 AM
Location:  Stilwell, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  247   Comments: 0
Nicely done
Title:  Nicely done
Description:  A&M got some new covered hoppers, which they have lettered in this attractive scheme. This on is at Washburn Mo on the southbound Monett Turn.
Photo Date:  4/5/2016  Upload Date: 4/9/2016 3:15:50 AM
Location:  Washburn, MO
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  346   Comments: 0
Unmistakeable
Title:  Unmistakeable
Description:  The heritage of this car is evident, even with new reporting marks. In the upper left corner, where the CR herald once was, is now a paint out, something I find supremely ironic on CR equipment. The road name was once lettered across the cars broad side. The real giveaway, though, is the color. The jade green can only mean one of two things: Penn Central, or if its old enough, NYC. This is a real survivor.
Photo Date:  8/12/2016  Upload Date: 8/12/2016 5:19:15 AM
Location:  Westville, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  248   Comments: 2
Over 21
Title:  Over 21
Description:  I recall seeing solid trains of these cars in Binghamton NY on the D&H when they were new in the late 80s. Now they run free, though still in their original markings. This one was northbound at Davidson Rd in Siloam on an H train.
Photo Date:  8/28/2016  Upload Date: 8/28/2016 3:40:23 AM
Location:  Siloam Springs, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  301   Comments: 0
Pride of Saskatchewan
Title:  Pride of Saskatchewan
Description:  Some Canadian provinces funded grain hoppers in the days when car supply was a problem in the prairies, and CN and CP could not guarantee car supply to ship out the crops. As the problem resolved, the railroads wound up owning most of the cars, which were billboards for their original owners, such as this car, now a CP car, on the KCS at Watts.
Photo Date:  10/20/2016  Upload Date: 10/26/2016 5:26:10 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  254   Comments: 1
Blemished Belle
Title:  Blemished Belle
Description:  I caught a southbound grain train today, which had a mix of cars on it, unlike the days when these were new, and youd see solid trains of them. Despite a few graffiti marks, this one looks pretty good.
Photo Date:  12/30/2016  Upload Date: 12/31/2016 4:40:53 AM
Location:  Gravette, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  283   Comments: 0
Rio Grande
Title:  Rio Grande
Description:  And its headed for the Rio Grande. This ex DRGW car is now lettered for TFM, and will undoubtedly cross its namesake many times.
Photo Date:  12/30/2016  Upload Date: 12/31/2016 4:42:14 AM
Location:  Gravette, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  237   Comments: 0
Action road
Title:  Action road
Description:  But now the action is en route to Mexico, as evidenced by the reporting marks on this ex Rio Grande car on a southbound.
Photo Date:  12/30/2016  Upload Date: 12/31/2016 4:45:56 AM
Location:  Gentry, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  250   Comments: 0
Regional hopper
Title:  Regional hopper
Description:  Most short lines and regionals I have encountered have little of their own freight cars. So it was something of a surprise to me to see this Kansas & Oklahoma hopper on the local at Siloam Springs.
Photo Date:  2/23/2017  Upload Date: 3/2/2017 5:23:37 AM
Location:  Siloam Springs, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  207   Comments: 0
Inky
Title:  Inky
Description:  This car of carbon black was eastbound at Claremore on the BNSFs ex Frisco. Carbon black is used in making, among other things, ink and tires.
Photo Date:  3/7/2017  Upload Date: 3/31/2017 5:06:18 AM
Location:  Claremore, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  252   Comments: 0
BING!!
Title:  BING!!
Description:  This Bunge Corp covered hopper was in the consist of the southbound H train.
Photo Date:  7/21/2017  Upload Date: 8/14/2017 4:24:42 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  215   Comments: 0
Short hopper
Title:  Short hopper
Description:  This two bay car was in the southbound H train.
Photo Date:  7/21/2017  Upload Date: 8/14/2017 4:37:38 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  202   Comments: 0
Big and green
Title:  Big and green
Description:  This covered hopper is in grain service, rolling north on the H train.
Photo Date:  7/21/2017  Upload Date: 8/14/2017 4:39:58 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  244   Comments: 0
Knocking your SOXX off
Title:  Knocking your SOXX off
Description:  The reporting marks on this car were too good to ignore. My question: Red Sox, or White Sox??
Photo Date:  7/21/2017  Upload Date: 8/14/2017 4:41:42 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  224   Comments: 2
Belle
Title:  Belle
Description:  When these cars were new, they often ran in solid trains, along with KCS power in the then new retro Belle scheme. It made for an impressive looking train. Ten years on, the new cars arent so new anymore, and run randomly. This one is in a southbound grain train at Watts. It's a little bit dusty, but looks pretty good for ten years on the road.
Photo Date:  10/17/2017  Upload Date: 10/21/2017 4:52:31 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  205   Comments: 0
Big hopper
Title:  Big hopper
Description:  This 100 ton covered hopper was in a local headed south at Springdale.
Photo Date:  12/21/2017  Upload Date: 12/26/2017 6:22:48 AM
Location:  Springdale, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  319   Comments: 0
Rib side
Title:  Rib side
Description:  This outside rib covered hopper was in the same train.
Photo Date:  12/21/2017  Upload Date: 12/26/2017 6:23:58 AM
Location:  Springdale, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  281   Comments: 0
Everythings AOK
Title:  Everythings AOK
Description:  An Arkansas-Oklahoma car is southbound on the ex MKT. It will cross its home road a few more miles south at McAlester.
Photo Date:  1/31/2018  Upload Date: 2/5/2018 4:56:29 AM
Location:  Wagoner, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  250   Comments: 0
Four aces
Title:  Four aces
Description:  I saw this car number and had to take the photo. Its southbound on the ex MKT. The reporting marks belong to American Soda, also Solvay Chemical, a familiar name from my days in the northeast.
Photo Date:  1/31/2018  Upload Date: 2/5/2018 4:58:04 AM
Location:  Wagoner, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  194   Comments: 0
CMO
Title:  CMO
Description:  Some of the major roads have a number of initials that have accumulated over the years as they have made acquisitions and merged other roads. Some of these are still in use, having never been out of circulation; some have been retired, either by design, or have just faded away as their original owners equipment was retired, and been brought back. CMO us one of those road names still in action belongs to the Chicago, Minneapolis, St Paul & Omaha, which came to the UP via the Northwestern, who merged them in 1960. Here it is on a two bay hopper, almost sixty years after the original road was merged.
Photo Date:  1/31/2018  Upload Date: 2/5/2018 5:07:18 AM
Location:  Wagoner, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  208   Comments: 0
A Northwestern car too
Title:  A Northwestern car too
Description:  This CNW car was also in the consist of the southbound on the ex MKT. All we need now is one with a CGW reporting mark to make the day complete.
Photo Date:  1/31/2018  Upload Date: 2/5/2018 5:11:33 AM
Location:  Wagoner, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  201   Comments: 0
Another predecessor
Title:  Another predecessor
Description:  Or half of one. This SP car has either defected to the Southern, or someone painted out half the road name. Either way, this was one of a number of cars in this train still in predecessor road reporting marks. The diesel fleet may be completely repainted, but the rolling stock likely never will.
Photo Date:  1/31/2018  Upload Date: 2/5/2018 5:15:49 AM
Location:  Wagoner, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  214   Comments: 0
Always good to see a fallen flag
Title:  Always good to see a fallen flag
Description:  This ex Denver & Rio Grande Western car was in a southbound grain train at Stilwell. It's a little faded, but not gone.
Photo Date:  6/16/2018  Upload Date: 6/19/2018 5:40:00 AM
Location:  Stilwell, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  250   Comments: 0
ACFX four bay
Title:  ACFX four bay
Description:  This hopper was on a northbound at Manchester GA on CSX. These cars are typically used to ship plastic pellets. It's a Wells Fargo Rail car, leased to OMYA.
Photo Date:  9/16/2018  Upload Date: 11/9/2018 5:25:23 AM
Location:  Manchester, GA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  256   Comments: 1
Consolidated grain
Title:  Consolidated grain
Description:  This hopper is 100 ton capacity, and used for grain shipments, as one would guess from the name. Its northbound on CSX.
Photo Date:  9/16/2018  Upload Date: 11/9/2018 5:29:23 AM
Location:  Manchester, GA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  257   Comments: 1
Hard to find
Title:  Hard to find
Description:  The Rock Island disappeared from the railroad scene almost 40 years ago, and these cars are now reaching the end of the FRA dictated service life, so Im always glad to see one, surprised, even. This classic treat was southbound on CSX. It's now owned by Wells Fargo Rail Corp.
Photo Date:  9/16/2018  Upload Date: 11/9/2018 6:05:44 AM
Location:  Manchester, GA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  339   Comments: 1
Oil Dry
Title:  Oil Dry
Description:  Oil Dry is a company that makes absorption products from clay. Think, kitty litter, except in an industrial setting. They have several plants around the country, and use rail to move product between them, and to customers. This car is northbound on CSX.
Photo Date:  9/16/2018  Upload Date: 11/9/2018 6:10:54 AM
Location:  Manchester, GA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  233   Comments: 1
Run of the mill
Title:  Run of the mill
Description:  CSX has several thousand of these hoppers, used in grain service. This one is southbound at Dalton
Photo Date:  9/17/2018  Upload Date: 11/9/2018 5:34:18 AM
Location:  Dalton, GA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  243   Comments: 1
Grain Express
Title:  Grain Express
Description:  Some roads brand particular services, to hopefully create some value for a particular segment of their business. CSX has gone with Grain Express, as we see here on this covered hopper rolling south at Dalton
Photo Date:  9/17/2018  Upload Date: 11/9/2018 5:40:51 AM
Location:  Dalton, GA
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  140   Comments: 1


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