What do my covered hoppers carry?

[Metro Red Line]

The key to realistic operation is understanding exactly what your rolling stock carries. My layout is set in Central California (San Joqauin Valley) which is known as an agricultural area.

I modern the modern era (UP) and have a bunch of covered hoppers. However, covered coppers carry everything from food products such as corn, wheat and hops to dry concrete and plastic pellets. Obviously the railroads won't have a hopper of dry concrete in one run carry wheat for human consumption in another run (at least I hope not). But covered hoppers (at least to me) don't reveal much. Aside from the logo on the side of the cars, how do I know what it's supposed to be carrying?

In other words, if I want my covered copper car to be carrying hops to be sent to a brewery, how do I know the prototype isn't carrying, say, gypsum?

 

[alco_fan]

Metro Red Line

But covered hoppers (at least to me) don't reveal much. Aside from the logo on the side of the cars, how do I know what it's supposed to be carrying?

By the shape of the roof hatches and the type of discharge mechanisms, for two things. Others who are more expert than I on modern cars can give you the specifcs

[jrbernier]

  I suspect you covered hoppers are the standard 100-112 ton type with 3 bay gravity outlets and trough loading hatches.  The usually are sized in the 4000-5000 cubic foot capacity range.    They can be loaded with most grains(corn/wheat/soy beans/barley/hops/etc).  Even longer 4 bay one carry things like DDG or plastic pellets.  If the car is carrying food stuffs, it will be cleaned and lined for that service.  There is even certification for 'kosher' food stuffs loading.

  Cement is quite heavy and is carried in 2 bay hoppers for the most part - There are shorter 3 bay ones that do carry cement(Atlas has a model)  These are sized in the 2000-3600 cubic foot capacity range.  They usually have the round 'seal tite' loading hatches and many time a pnuematic discharge system on the outlet gates.  'Frac' sand is also carred in these cars.  

  The key with the prototype cars is the cubic capacity vs the payload capacity.  If the railroad gives you a 4750 cubic ft capacity car, and your product is 'light', you will 'cube out' before you reach the payload weight capacity - Not a good thing.  The railroad marketing folks will have the car distributor work with the customer to make sure the correct car is provided.

Jim

 

[tomnoy3]

One of the primary determining factors will be car design based to be suited to a products physical characteristics, ie density, flow, food grade, another important factor is ownership.  Most system cars will be assigned to a pool and kept in similar service minimizing cleaning between loads while increasing asset utilization.

Private cars, whether owned or leased (typically 3, 5 or 7 years) will predominately haul the same product and stay in the same OD route. 

Typically that is the case but break even can and does change and as goes the fleet

[Atlanta Dave]

jr is pretty much right.  Covered hoppers are "usually" assigned to a specific type of service.  Plastic pellet cars will not be used in ag service for example.  Two bay hoppers will carry very heavy products like cement.  The larger three bay will transport products that are somewhat less dense.   Then a great deal depends on the roof hatches, unloaded mechanisms and whether or not the car is lined.    What I suggest is picking the product you want to move on your railroad and then look for cars designed for that product.  For example, cars marked for elevators or food processors like ADM/Cargil will usually be in Ag service.  Cars marked for companies like Chevron will probably have plastics. 

 

[dehusman]

Metro Red Line

In other words, if I want my covered copper car to be carrying hops to be sent to a brewery, how do I know the prototype isn't carrying, say, gypsum?

 

Hops were delivered to the AB Brewery in Houston TX back in 1980 in green CNW 3 bay covered hoppers.  They had trough hatches on the top and the square sliding outlets on the bottom.  The hops came from Minnesota.

[JOHN BRUCE III]

One product in the San Jaoquin Valley that goes via covered hoppers is almonds. Howeve, the main product that goes through is cattle and poultry feed, in unit trains. These would be in the 3-bay style hoppers.