Bluford Shops N 65207 8-Panel 2-Bay Hopper, Baltimore and Ohio #318237

Post-1974

A majority of 8-panel hoppers were the result of the rebuilding of other styles of 2-bay hoppers. Offset side hoppers were particularly good candidates for this conversion. The argument for the offset side car is that by placing the side sheets on the outside of the ribs, you could then fill the volume between the ribs with coal (or other commodity.) The downside was that the offset side cars were more difficult to build and repair. Also, the load often packed in the corners between the rib and side sheets, trapping moisture and making repairs more frequent. Rebuilding them with 8 full length panels and 9 posts was relative easy and cheap, more than making up for the loss in cubic capacity. The rebuilt car could provide another 15 to 25 years of revenue service.

In the 1960s, Baltimore & Ohio sent many of their offset side hoppers over to the Raceland Shops of their sister road C&O for rebuilding into 8-panel hoppers. The cars presented in this run reflect how they appeared in their as-rebuilt paint scheme with the post-1974 addition of ACI tags and two box format consolidated stencils.

Features:
Ready-to-run
Die cast slope sheet-hopper bay-center sill assembly
Injection molded plastic sides, ends, and hopper doors
Fully molded brake tank, valve and air lines
Body mounted brake hose detail
Load included
Body mounted magnetically operating knuckle couplers
Close coupling
Metal wheels