Time frame for Two Bay coal hoppers

[mu26aeh]

I recently was offered a collection of B&O, C&O, and Virginian two bay coal hoppers and am wondering how late these ran, and if you'd see the roads intermingled.  I run pretty much strictly modern CSX/NS/Conrail etc, with some equipment from Chessie era.  But this is some very nice stuff and am thinking I could run it on a "throw back night" or something.  Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[Mark5]

It depends on when the hoppers were placed in service and other factors. A fair amount of N&W and Virginian (N&W) twin hoppers made into the 70s and a few into the 80s.

[Kentuckian]

Some coal mines in the Winding Gulf area of WV were served by both the C&O and Virginian.  I can find photos of both road's hoppers at the mines, but not intermingled on the same train.  After the C&O acquired . . er "merged" with the B&O in the late '60's I would guess hoppers between these two roads would intermingle.  I saw plenty of B&O hoppers in Russell, KY (C&O territory) in the late 1970's. 

[LV LOU]

 Any of those hoppers ran in Northeast Pa on the CNJ,D&H and LV into the CR era..CNJ/LV both ran coal to powerplants in NY State..I'd kill for those hoppers,LOL!!!

[Hornwrecker]

I just happen to have the PRR hopper book open nearby.

The PRR H31 classes built during WWII, similar to the MT 2 bay hopper, still had 632 of them on the books in April, 1968.

I'm surprised by the numbers of the ancient GLa class, built before WWI, that were in active service: 3,410 in 1965, 231 in 1970, and 77 in 1973.

[OHCR 4218]

Two bays in 1970 on the N&W

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=346414&nseq=341

[nkalanaga]

The CB&Q's survived into the 1970s, including some of the "War Emergency" composite cars.  Some of the last survivors were in eastern Washington in sugar beet service, at least until the bottom fell out of one too many.  50 tons of beets in the middle of the track at speed doesn't work too well...

[Atlas Paul]

I shot a Cambria & Indiana 2 bay offset in service in the 90s!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I shot a Cambria & Indiana 2 bay offset in service in the 90s!

Those were the example I was gonna cite too. Those things held on for a while. Definitely weird thinking of them co-existing with C40-8Ws.

Now, that said, even if they existed, 2 bay hoppers in the 90s were rare, and I've always found it better to model the rule, not the exception.

[VonRyan]

The Virginian ones lasted a long time. If the Virginian ones are the black Kadee/MT ones with white lettering then they are worth $40 apiece. Very tempting if you plan on doing MR's Virginian layout in N.

-Cody F.

[mu26aeh]

Thanks for the info guys  !