Covered Hoppers

Car LV numbers Date & No. Built or acquired No. on roster Notes on Prototype Available models & modeling notes Prototype Photo References
Jul
42
Apr
46
Jan
53
Jul
60
Apr
64
Oct
69
Oct
74
Covered hopper, 2600 cu ft, 50 ton (LO) 42803-42805 1972
3
3 Leased ex-GACX, blt 3/57.
36′ 9″ L over couplers
Covered hopper, 2600 cu ft, 70 ton (LO) 42997-43004 1972
7
7 Leased ex-GACX, blt 6/57.
36′ 9″ L over couplers
Covered hopper, 2600 cu ft, 50 ton (LO) 44883-44894 1973
5
5 Leased ex-GACX, blt 2/61.
36′ 9″ L over couplers
Covered hopper, 1933 cu ft, 70 ton, 3 hoppers (LO) 50100-50149 1938
50
50  50 50 50 21 8 2 Converted from quad coal hoppers in series 40000-40999.
44′ L over couplers.
Click here for this site’s article 50122 (gray): Bossler, p. 81; Jim Dalberg photo of 50135
Covered hopper, 1790 cu ft, 70 ton,  hopper bottom (LO) 50150-50249 1939-41
100
100 100 100 100 93 84 22 Rebuilt from series 40000-40999 quad hoppers.
36′ 9″ L over couplers
HO: Resin kit coming from Funaro & Camerlengo in late 2005 or early 2006.
Covered hopper, 1790 cu ft, 70 ton,  hopper bottom (LO) 50250-50399 1946 & 1948
150
150 149 142 134 43 Converted from quad hoppers in 41000-41699 series. Done in at least 2 batches, & not all in this series are similar!
36′ L over couplers.
HO: Resin kit coming from Funaro & Camerlengo in late 2005 or early 2006. 50301 (gray), 50384 (red) & 50398 (red): Bossler, p. 81-82.
50337 (red): FD&S 9/2, p.19.
50339 (red): CFC Vol.4, p.34.
Covered hopper, 1799 cu ft, 70 ton, hopper bottom (LO) 50400-50499 1950
100
100 100 99 46 18 Built by Bethlehem.
37′ 9″ L over couplers
HO: Bowser (undec)
Covered hopper, 1799 cu ft, 70 ton,  hopper bottom (LO) 50500-50599
(50590-50599 sold to NSRX in 1954)
1953
100
90 90 40 25 Built by Bethlehem.
37′ 9″ L over couplers
HO: Bowser 50541 (50512, 50580, 50585, 50589 50590, 50595, gray)
Covered hopper, 1790 cu ft, 70 ton,  hopper bottom (LO) 50600-50699 1954
100
100 99 95 32 LVRR built. 36′ L over couplers
Covered hopper, Pullman Standard, 2003 cu ft, 70 ton, 2 bottom hoppers (LO) 50700-50899 1956
200
200 199 196 179 37′ 9″ L over couplers HO: Altas 1815-1 (50794, red).
MDC 1468 (50700, gray)
Decals: Herald King H-852 (gray car) & H-853 (tuscan red car) S: MTH 35-75007 (50835, gray) and 35-750008 (50879, gray)
50701 ( gray): MM 8/98 p.66 (+ dwg) & RMJ 6/95, p. 20 (same builder’s photo).
50798 & 50834 (gray): Bossler, p. 83.
Covered hopper, General American, 4550 cu ft, 98 ton, 3 bottom hoppers, trough (Grain) (LO) 50900-50999 1968
100
100 98 Built by PC.
Pneumatic outlet valves
55′ 6″ L over couplers
Although this car looks white in many photographs, it was actually light gray.
HO: No exact representations available, but could be kitbashed from available plastic models.
Numbers on all Athearn & BevBel painted models are wrong.
Decals: Herald King H-851 (OOP)
50903 & 50922 (gray): Bossler, p. 83.
Plans by Eric Neubauer were published in MRG 3/88, p14.
Covered hopper, 2688 cu ft, 70 ton, 6 bottom hoppers, trough (Grain) (LO) 51000, 51001 1960
2
2 2 1 Rebuilt from 50100-50149 series for grain service.
Pneumatic outlet valves
44′ L over couplers
Covered hopper, 2944 cu ft, 70 ton, 6 bottom hoppers, trough (Grain) (LO) 51002-51030 early 1960s
28
22 28 13 Rebuilt from 50100-50149 series for grain service.
Pneumatic outlet valves
44′ L over couplers.
HO: Con-Cor 009531(LV 51023) is completely spurious, & looks nothing like this car! 51026 (gray): Bossler , p. 85
51017 (gray) photo by Robert Branin on Clint Chamberlin’s web site.
Covered hopper, Bethlehem Steel, 4462 cu ft, 98 ton, 3 bottom hoppers, trough roof hatch (Grain) (LO) 51100-51159 1964-65
60
60 59 Leased.
Pneumatic outlet valves
50′ 1″ IL, 58′ 11″ L over couplers.
Very similar to Pullman-Standard design
HO: Walthers 5720 is a good stand-in. Available as LV 51115. Use Herald King H-851 decals. 51102 (white): Bossler, p. 85.
51118 (white): CFC Vol. 11, p.14.
51130 (white): Yanosey (1989), p. 118.
51134 (white): FD&S 2/1 p.22
51143 (white): RMJ 9/95 p.40.
Covered hopper, 2944 cu ft, 70 ton, 6 bottom hoppers, trough (Grain) (LO) 52000-52003 1963
4
4 4 0 Rebuilt from 50100-50149 series.
Pneumatic outlet valves
52001 (red): Bossler , p. 86
Covered hopper, PS 4000 cu ft, 95 ton (LO) 52500-52509 1963
10
10 10 0 Leased. Built by PS.
46′ 0″ IL, 49′ 9″ L over couplers
 HO: Walthers 5720 may be a stand-in
Covered hopper, 2352 cu ft, 77 ton,  hopper bottom (LO) 52600-52699 1966-68
100
100 96 Rebuilt from 50400-50589 series cement hoppers by raising roof. 37′ 9″ L over couplers. 52666 (red): Bossler , p. 86
Covered hopper, single Airslide, 2600 cu ft, 70 ton (LO) 55000-55009 1957
10
10 10 10 Built by GATX
42′ L over couplers
HO: ARHS/Con-Cor (early version, lettered but unnumbered) 55002 (red): Bossler , p. 87
Covered hopper, Airslide, 2600 cu ft, 55 ton (LO) 55010-55019 1963
10
10 9 8 Leased from GATX
42′ L over couplers
Covered hopper, Airslide, 2600 cu ft, 77 ton (LO) 55020 1966
1
2 1 42′ L over couplers 55020 (gray): CFC Vol.4, p.35.
Covered hopper, 55 ton (LO) 56000-56004 1963-64
5
5 5 0 Rock salt service
Covered hopper, 1122 cu ft, 55 ton, bottom outlet (LO) 90000-90009 1950-51
10
10 10 10 10 Locomotive dry sand, company use. Build dates from Neubauer’s book, but not listed in ORER until about 1963. Guy Fluck photo of 90007
Covered hopper, 1790 cu ft, 70 ton,  bottom outlet (LO) 90100-90104 1941
2
2 2 2 2 2
90100
90101
5 5 Locomotive dry sand, company use. Build dates from Neubauer’s book, but not listed in ORER until about 1963. Guy Fluck photo of 90102
Covered hoppers leased by LV but carrying other reporting marks
Covered hopper, PS 4000 cu ft, 3 bays, trough hatch, 70 ton (LO) TLDX
2003-2017
1963
15
15 15 13 70 ton capacity.
46′ 0″ IL, 49′ 9″ L over couplers
Transport Leasing Division of Pullman
HO: Walthers 5720 is a stand-in(need to change reporting marks) 2017 (white): Bossler , p. 87
Covered hopper, PS 4000 cu ft, 3 bays, trough hatch 95 ton (LO) TLDX
2018-2027
1963
10
10 13 11
2028
added
95 ton capacity.
46′ 0″ IL, 49′ 9″ L over couplers
Transport Leasing Division of Pullman
HO: Walthers 5720 is a stand-in (need to change reporting marks) 2021(white): Bossler , p. 87

Sources:

The Official Railway Equipment Register, April 1964, October 1969 and October 1974 (Ed Schaller collection); April 1946 (Chuck Davis collection); July 1942, January 1953 and July 1960 (Larry Grubb collection).
CNJ/LV Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment, by Craig T. Bossler, Morning Sun Books, 1994.
Lehigh Valley Freight and Passenger Equipment Rosters, by Eric A. Neubauer, Society of Freight Car Historians, 1996.
Classic Freight Cars – The Series, by John Henderson & Henry Maywald, H&M Productions, 1990s.
Model Railroading, Railmodel Journal and Railroad Model Craftsman as noted in the References column.

Modeling Freight Cars

LV Fantasy Models – If you can’t find the car you are looking for on the prototype pages, it may be that there was no LV prototype! It may be listed on this page!

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