Tag Archives: RDG Covered Hopper Cars

Modeling the Reading Open Hopper Car Fleet in 1952

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The Summer of 1952, my modeling period, was a time of change for the Reading open hopper car fleet. The oldest cars of the fleet, class HTf, dated back to 1910 were being retired and the newest HTv’s were being built in 1952.

There were six open hopper car types split into twelve car classes. The majority of the fleet was comprised of 50 ton twin hoppers except for the two classes of 70 ton quad hoppers class HTl and HTn.

In March of 2012, I gave a presentation on “Modeling Reading Company Open Hopper Cars 1948-1956” I’ve posted the handout from the clinic. Dowload the handout

Milestones In Open hopper car painting:

  • 1923-1940 Underlined “Reading” Car Number Centered On Car
  • 1940 Roman lettering without red herald New with Class HTO
  • 1942-1954 Roman lettering with red herald
    2-17-42 revision on an HTj paint diagram “Added Stencil “America’s Largest Anthracite Carrier”
  • 1955-1958 “Speed” lettering with red herald

Reading HTf 87994

Reading HTf

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
86000-86999 American Car & Foundry 1913 1000 334 1910-1953 32′ 10″
87000-87999 Cambria Steel Co. 1913 1000
88000-88999 Standard Steel Car Co. 1911 1000
89000-89999 American Car & Foundry 1910 1000

Reading HTh 76770

Reading HTh

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
74500-75499 Cambria Steel Co. 1917 1000 4214 1916-1960 32′ 10″
75500-75999 Standard Steel Car Co. 1917 500
76000-76499 Pressed Steel Car Co. 1917 500
76500-76999 Pressed Steel Car Co. 1916 500
77000-77499 Standard Steel Car Co. 1917 500
77500-77999 Standard Steel Car Co. 1916 500
78000-78999 Pressed Steel Car Co. 1916 1000

Reading HTj 72687 (USRA Twin Hopper)

Reading HTj

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
72500-73499 Standard Steel Car Co. 1919 500 1831 1919-1964 30′ 6″
73500-74499 Ralston Steel Car 1919 500

Reading HTl 70843

Reading HTl

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
70500-70999 Pressed Steel Car Co. 1922 500 3504* 1922-1964 39′
71000-71499 Standard Steel Car Co. 1922 500
71500-71999 Midvale Steel & Ordinance 1922 500
72000-72499 American Car & Foundry 1922 500

Reading HTn

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
68500-69499 Bethlehem Steel Corp. 1925 1000 3504* 1924-1964 39′
69500-69899 Pressed Steel Car Co. 1924 400
69900-70099 Standard Steel Car Co. 1924 200
70100-70299 Bethlehem Steel Corp. 1924 200
70300-70499 American Car & Foundry 1924 200

*ORER record is for combined totals of both classes HTl and HTn.

Reading HTr 65950

Reading HTo

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
80000-80999 Reading Shops 1941 1000 995 1941-1976 31′-0″

Reading HTp

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
67000-67299 Reading Shops 1942 300 339 1941-1976 31′-0″
67300-67338 Reading Shops 1943 39

Reading HTr

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
65000-65999 Reading Shops 1944 1000 996 1944-1976 31′-0″

Reading HTs

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
66000-66999 Reading Shops 1943 1000 995 1943-1976 31′-0″
67339-67999 Reading Shops 1944 661 659 1944-1976

Reading HTss

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
66000-67999 Reading Shops 1951 2 1951-1976 31′-0″

Reading HTt 81089

Reading HTt

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
81000-81999 Bethlehem Steel Corp. 1948 1000 1000 1948-1967 33′-0″

Reading HTu

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
82000-82749 Bethlehem Steel Corp. 1949 750 749 1949-1967 33′-0″

Reading HTv

Car Numbers Builder Built Qty Built 1/52 ORER Service Life Inside Length
83000-83999 Bethlehem Steel Corp. 1950 1000 3000 1950-1967 33′-0″
84000-84999 Bethlehem Steel Corp. 1951 1000
85000-85999 Bethlehem Steel Corp. 1952 1000

Note more HTv’s were built AFTER my modeling period of 1952.

 

 

Model: Reading HTj 73592 (USRA Twin)

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RDG HTj 74170 built from an Intermountain Kit

I started with an undecorated Intermountain USRA Twin Kit to build this Reading class HTj hopper. The lettering was pieced together from the Microscale #48-496 Reading Twin Hopper set. This model represents a car that was painted prior to WW2.

The Reading replaced the as delievered brake ratchet with a power hand brake and upgraded the car to AB brakes by the late thirties. Parts from an Intermountain Boxcar were used to make the changes.

This model is riding on San Juan 50 ton Andrews trucks with PSC wheelsets. They still need to be painted.

Model: Reading HTj 74170 (USRA Twin)

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RDG HTj 74170

The Intermountain Kit was used to build this Reading class HTj USRA Twin. The factory lettering was the basis for this model with additional lettering coming from the Microscale #48-496 Reading Twin Hopper set.

The Reading replaced the as delievered brake ratchet with a power hand brake by the late thirties. Parts from an Intermountain Boxcar were used to make the changes. The Kit was built to represent a car that had been upgraded to AB Brakes.

This model is riding on Athern Andrews trucks with Intermountain wheelsets. While this does make an nice rolling truck it will be changed out to the San Juan 50 ton Andrews like it had when it was a Proto48 model.