2 Bay Offset Hopper

Prototype Information

The 2-bay offset-side hopper was developed in the 1930s as an advancement over earlier rib-sided hoppers. Instead of exterior vertical posts, it featured an offset-side design where the side sheets overlapped for added strength and simplified construction. These hoppers typically carried coal, aggregates, or ore. With a capacity of around 50 to 70 tons, they were ideal for short-haul bulk service. Railroads and car builders such as Pullman-Standard and Bethlehem Steel produced thousands of them through the 1940s and 1950s. By the 1970s, larger 3-bay and rapid-discharge hoppers began replacing them in mainline service.