-----Original Message-----

I can only comment on the Eastern cars (L&N, B&O, C&O, etc.), but, in
general, the large bituminous coal carrying roads of the Eastern US used
their cars in basically captive service.

Ted's is the safe answer. There were exceptions: I have a number of
Southern Rwy conductors books from the 40's & early 50's for the main east
out of Asheville, NC -- I've got a count of 191 SOU hoppers listed (mostly
in company service), but well more than 200 hoppers from 26 other roads
(including the NYC, MILW, B&M, Alton, C&NW, and MSL to cite the most
unexpected).

Toledo Ohio -- Lots of N&W cars, no N&W rails. Brewster, Ohio on the NKP --
plenty of N&W hoppers. Some evidence they got to the steel industry near
Chicago.

Soldier Summit in Utah: plenty of D&RGW coal gons, but cars in coal service
from the MP, UP, WP, CBC, and B&LE appear in photos and much of the Utah
coal went to the pacific coast. On occasion there were DMIR ore jennies in
Utah on the LA&SL (U.S. Steel moved their cars around).

Dave Nelson