Freight Car ID

[Anonymous]

Last Sunday out on Norfolk Southern's CNO&TP line I saw a mixed freight train hauling some unusual cars. The were short in length and height. Approx. 30-40' long and about as tall as a flat car. but instead of having a flat bed the sides sloped in towards the center of the car. I was standing slightly below grade so I couldn't see what the interior looked like. The cars were painted a light grey and had NS reporting marks. Along the top on the side was red print that said "OPEN TOP CAR DO NOT COVER". Also it was placarded as HOT. Any body have any idea what these are and what the might bee hauling?

[wabash1]

it sounds like your talking about the coil steel cars .

[corwinda]

The 'Hot' placard suggests it is used for handling hot pig iron or similar. I have never seen a coil steel car placarded.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like coil steel cars to me too. There is a potential for the steel to be loaded hot from the rolling mill, requiring the "hot" placard.

[wabash1]

these steel cars are not placarded they are lettered hot do not cover until the get to consignee to be coated then they are covered. seen several of these cars.

[Anonymous]

These were not coil steel cars. I've seen enough of them to know one. I even used to have some on my model railroad. The cars that I saw were more like if you took a coilsteel car(without the hoods on it) and cut it in half. And then welded a single bay off of a ACF centerflow covered hopper car on the bottom. But without a door on the bottom. I wish I could have gotten a picture of one but I was in a curve and they got around it before I could get a camera up.

[Anonymous]

If you see one again, try to get a car number, then you can look it up in the Official Railway Equipment Register. It should tell what type of service the car is used for.