Virginian Hoppers questions

[NW Mailing List]

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  1.. I was surprised to find that the VGN hopper kits have brake wheels on vertical shafts at the top of the car. Why were hoppers fitted this way? It seems unlikely that brakemen would be expected to walk from car to car along the top of loaded coal, and what could they do with empty cars? 
  Did the hoppers retain this form of brake gear right to their end in 1953? If not, when was a change made, and to what design?

  2.. In Australia in December, I found a Bowser kit for a pale grey VGN covered hopper marked as 'Cement car' In the 1956 Official Railway Equipment Register, VGN is shown as having two of these 70ton cars numbered 3800 and 3801. The Bowser car has markings as shown in the VGN painting and lettering diagrams, but with the car number as 6015. In the above ORER this number is one of a group of 1000 55 ton hoppers. Can anyone enlighten me on whether Bowser simply got it wrong, or is there some other explanation? 
  3.. Not a question, but another surprise in the Australian shop was to find the Bowser Centenial N&W hopper, which had eluded me in England, so I promptly bought that too!
Happy New Year to you all!

Ted Roberts. (Home email: tedmorag at talktalk.net.) 
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