Neat photo with the NYC gon, Schuyler. Don't recall seeing a Pennsy clamshell quad with the large "COKE"
notation on the side of it. And what is that we see beyopnd it? A Seeley hopper constructed entirely, or nearly so,
of steel??? Who might have owned such a contraption? Looks to be another three cars further on but that one looks
to be wood sheathed.

Thanks for bring this to our attention, Don Valentine

The steel hopper with the windup shafts is N&W class HM, built ca. 1910-11. N&W extrapolated the basic configuration of its Seley triples to an all-steel design. Not a true Seley, since he was long gone by then, and there was no need for the diagonal truss. N&W class HP was a 9" taller version built 1911-15. See Westerfield 1600 series.

As far as I know, nobody else had any copies. ACL did receive a 4-bay version, though.

David Thompson

Don Valentine wrote:
"Don't recall seeing a Pennsy clamshell quad with the large "COKE" notation on the side of it."

The Class H21 quads were originally designed for Coke service and rated at only 50 tons. Unfortunately, they were often grabbed for coal loading, and there are documented structural failures of cars loaded with coal, and the "COKE" stenciling was an attempt to discourage this. All Class H21 were eventually rebuilt to Class H21A with structural reinforcement and 70-ton trucks by 1925.


Ben Hom

Interestingly, this car has the partial top chord reinforcement that was applied to help strengthen these cars.

Regards
Bruce Smith
Auburn, AL
________________________________________
From: STMFC@... [STMFC@...]
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2014 9:16 PM
To: STMFC@...
Subject: Re: [STMFC] NYC gon and others

Don Valentine wrote:
"Don't recall seeing a Pennsy clamshell quad with the large "COKE" notation on the side of it."

The Class H21 quads were originally designed for Coke service and rated at only 50 tons. Unfortunately, they were often grabbed for coal loading, and there are documented structural failures of cars loaded with coal, and the "COKE" stenciling was an attempt to discourage this. All Class H21 were eventually rebuilt to Class H21A with structural reinforcement and 70-ton trucks by 1925.


Ben Hom


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Posted by: Benjamin Hom <b.hom@...>
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Yahoo Groups Links

Ben,

A question for you, is there information about when were the top cord reinforcements were added vs. when the saw-tooth hoppers were added on the PRR class H21?

Bob Witt

Bob Witt asked:
"...is there information about when were the top c[h]ord reinforcements were added vs. when the saw-tooth hoppers were added on the PRR class H21?"

The top chord reinforcement came first. Some of the last Class H21A cars built c. 1918 received this as built.  Sawtooth hoppers were directed in 1926, but the conversions proceeded slowly, and cars with the original hoppers were still around as late as 1948.  See Teichmoeller's "Pennsylvania Railroad Steel Open Hopper Cars" for more information.


Ben Hom

Thanks, I guess I should have looked in John's book first.

Bob Witt

The NYC gon is an ex LS&MS car, Lot LS79 built by PSC in 1904 as LS&MS 38000-38999