Covered Hoppers

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Two-bay covered hoppers supply cement to the outfit in Waynesboro that 
makes septic tanks.

Jeff
Two Blocks from the N&W Valley Line

-----Original Message-----
From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
To: N&W Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 13:24:16 -0500
Subject: Covered Hoppers

In reviewing the N&W's freight car fleet one notices that it acquired a 
rather large number of covered hoppers well prior to the 1964 merger 
with NKP, WAB, etc.  These acquisitions start in the 1940s or so and 
continue through the steam era on the N&W.
 
Does anyone know why N&W began to acquire covered hoppers?  A lot were 
built in Roanoke Shops by N&W itself.
 
What traffic did N&W have that required covered hoppers?  Most of the 
early covered hoppers, contrary to popular model railroad belief, did 
not haul grain; the larger capacity grain hoppers didn't really make an 
appearance until the early 1960s and following.
 
So what was so important for N&W to obtain covered hoppers?  I 
understand that some of these would be used in company service to haul 
sand for the various locomotive servicing facilities.
 
Were the sources for cement along the N&W?  Were these used at the 
Norfolk Terminal Piers for bulk shipment of materials that were 
previously shipped in boxcars?
 
Anybody know?
 
Jim Brewer
www.pocahontasmodels.com
 
 
 

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