Coal cars?

[Anonymous]

I recently saw a what i believe a Reading Northern Railroad hopper car with colored blue in the uper left corner. I read that the Reading Railroad used to do this to some cars assinged to the sugar plant in Philadelphia. Does anyone know if that is the purpose for these cars today or are they just coal cars.

[Anonymous]

Its just the RBMN's logo... Just coal.

[traingeek087]

Don't quote me on this but I think that the some of the cars have been sold off and used for about next to anything now.

[rrnut282]

Do these cars have rotary couplers on the blue end?

[Anonymous]

I know a lot of the coal cars that run on CP trains have a red end where the rotary couplers are.

[Anonymous]

They are just for coal.

[Anonymous]

They are just for coal.

[traingeek087]

I don't think so, I've seen some of these cars on the Nebraska Centrals Newcore Steel plant yard tracks. Newcore is a steel refinery where they take scrap metal, this is the only customer on that branch line and I've seen some of those cars near the plant.

[Anonymous]

Since I'm a huge R&N fan (they are my favorite railroad) lets me fill you in, most R&N hoppers (report marks RBMN) have either blue or orange ends (the later is most common), they are used to haul anthracite coal (R&N is the only RR in eastern PA to still haul it) all around the country, there are also cars (that are painted differently) used to haul coal to Quebec Iron & Titanium (the coal is used to make paint of all things). I'll post shots of these later. [:)]