On Sep 26, 2017, at 7:05 AM, STMFC@yahoogroups.com wrote:

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6b. Re: Open Hopper Turned Covered Hopper?
Posted by: "Garth Groff" sarahsan@embarqmail.com ggg9y
Date: Tue Sep 26, 2017 2:00 am ((PDT))

Bob,

Not apparently from our era. The reweigh date is 6-68. My 1958 ORER does not list this group of cars. At that time the RF&P owned 16 1700 cubic foot hoppers in series 3402-3501; 48 of 1880 cubic feet in series 3506-3555; and 30 of the same dimensions in series 3561-3590. The latter two series were USRA clones from the 1920s according to Richard Hendrickson.

The car in question seems to be one of the USRA clones. Though I can’t read all the small lettering, it does say the car is restricted to sand loading service (note the spillage under the car) with a return location of Dillwyn, Virginia. Dillwyn was at the end (literally) of the C&O Dillwyn subdivision (now the Buckingham Branch Railroad) where there was a sand loader owned by the Willis Sand Co., a division of the Kyanite Mining Corporation. The sand was a by-prodict from their kyanite mine on nearby Willis Mountain. The loader track at Dillwyn was often crowded with covered hoppers up into the 1980s, among them similar rebuilt RF&P covered hoppers of a different class. The loader and track are still there, though no longer in use.

Though I can’t say for certain, I believe RF&P 7006 was in company service (though going off-line) for carrying locomotive sand.

Yours Aye,


Garth Groff

On Sep 26, 2017, at 2:00 AM, thecitrusbelt@yahoo.com [STMFC] <STMFC@yahoogroups.com> wrote:





This covered hopper appears to be a conversion from an open top hopper, especially considering the bays:




http://www.ebay.com/itm/Richmond-Fredericksburg-Potomac-RF-P-7006-converted-covered-hopper-8x10-photo-/372085206789?hash=item56a201af05:g:fZ0AAOSwLdNZxvP2 <http://www.ebay.com/itm/Richmond-Fredericksburg-Potomac-RF-P-7006-converted-covered-hopper-8x10-photo-/372085206789?hash=item56a201af05:g:fZ0AAOSwLdNZxvP2>



Does anyone know about the history of this or other (assumed) cars in the series?



Thanks.



Bob Chaparro

Hemet, CA