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George Eichelberger
 

Southern 2605 cu ft two-bay covered hopper - Sou 4000-4199

This series of two-bay aluminum covered hoppers were built by Magor in 1959. Already 100-ton capy. cars, they were simply increased to four-bays create the “Big John” cars. Although I do not think I’ll have the “nerve” to cut down one of my (beautiful) Exact-Rail Big Johns, it would make an interesting SR kitbash. (Look at them with a Big John photo and you’ll note the hatches appear to line up for the two-bay car with the two middle bays removed. 

Lettering on the slides I have show green stencil paint but Southern practice with green always seems to have some cars with black lettering. No discussion of stencil colors on Southern covered hoppers has ever been found in the archives?

Can anyone tell us if any other railroads had the same Magor 2605 cu ft two-bay aluminum cars?

Ike


 Southern 4072 Inman Yard 6-82 G. Eichelberger photo

PS I just noticed, note this snippet of an early photo of Sou 4173…The sides did not extend behind the ladders as built. The triangular pieces on the 1982 photo of Sou 4072 were obviously added. Big Johns were built that way?!
Robert Graham
 

These 200 SOU aluminum covered hopper cars were delivered with the same red lettering as the Big John covered hoppers. I clearly recall seeing one in Greensboro in 1962, but was shooting B&W only. They definitely received black lettering later on. See my attached photo.

N&W received 50 very similar 100 ton aluminum 2 compartment covered hoppers from Magor in Jan 1963, N&W 71800-71849. They were 2655 cu ft cars, slightly larger capacity than the SOU 2605 cu ft cars. They had the same roof hatch arrangement, same side panel arrangement, same Morton steel roof walks, and from a photo appeared to be almost identical to the SOU 4000-4199. The N&W cars were lettered in the standard N&W block livery with the road name above the N&W as on the hopper cars of the period. Lettering color was black.

Bob Graham

-----------------------------------------

From: "George Eichelberger"
To: "main@southernrailway.groups.io", "ModelingTheSouthern@southernrailway.groups.io"
Cc:
Sent: Wednesday August 25 2021 2:50:24PM
Subject: [SouthernRailway] Southern 2605 cu ft two-bay covered hopper - Sou 4000-4199

Southern 2605 cu ft two-bay covered hopper - Sou 4000-4199

This series of two-bay aluminum covered hoppers were built by Magor in 1959. Already 100-ton capy. cars, they were simply increased to four-bays create the “Big John” cars. Although I do not think I’ll have the “nerve” to cut down one of my (beautiful) Exact-Rail Big Johns, it would make an interesting SR kitbash. (Look at them with a Big John photo and you’ll note the hatches appear to line up for the two-bay car with the two middle bays removed. 

Lettering on the slides I have show green stencil paint but Southern practice with green always seems to have some cars with black lettering. No discussion of stencil colors on Southern covered hoppers has ever been found in the archives?

Can anyone tell us if any other railroads had the same Magor 2605 cu ft two-bay aluminum cars?

Ike

INBOX23094566e59c629f56e56165706d942e74a

 Southern 4072 Inman Yard 6-82 G. Eichelberger photo

PS I just noticed, note this snippet of an early photo of Sou 4173…The sides did not extend behind the ladders as built. The triangular pieces on the 1982 photo of Sou 4072 were obviously added. Big Johns were built that way?!

INBOX230945071caab9fd83451fdb72c6b82d363
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