Hopper bottom boxcar.....

[BCR 570]

I have learned lot more about these cars in recent weeks thanks to some ongoing research.  Their design and construction was financed by the Federal Department of Industry for the purpose of developing a grain car with potential backhaul capability.

The larger car went to CN for testing and was numbered CN 399999.  The smaller car went to CP Rail and was numbered CP 25000.  Both appear to have been returned to NSC by 1973, and were subsequently sold to the British Columbia Railway.  As mentioned previously they were used in grain service from Dawson Creek to Prince Rupert.

In 1977 they were leased to the Milwaukee Road who renumbered them MILW 1 and 2. Photos show them in grain service in the Midwest.  Not long after this, the Milwaukee Road began withdrawing services in the west, and the cars were returned to the BCR by 1980.

They resumed their previous numbers BCOL 2126 and 2127 and served until 1992 and 1990 respectively, again in service from Dawson Creek.

I now have an overhead view confirming hatch and running board arrangement so definitely plan to model these cars at some point.  They are definitely an interesting chapter in modern freight car design.


Tim

[learmoia]

The Bopper.

Hard to clean from what I was told.

Hard to Clean??, there is a 10' door on each side of the darn thing to get into it...

Likely not so much 'HARD' to clean... but the fact that they have to clean all the boxcar junk out of it before can be used as a hopper.
I.E. nails, staples, tacks, paper, cardboard, wood, dirt, ect.

Funny thing is.... This concept is done every day with containers for export grain shipments.

~Ian