Hoppers

Car LV numbers Date & No. Built or acquired No. on roster Notes on Prototype Available models & modeling notes Prototype Photo References
Jul
42
Apr
46
Jan
53
Jul
60
Apr
64
Oct
69
Oct
74
Hopper, 33 ft, 55 ton, coal (HM) 12000-12899 1944
900
900 887 531 519 151 9 Built by Bethlehem. 2 bay offset side with 7 outside ribs. Has riveted joint in side panels at fold. HO: Kitbash from Atlas or Athearn 2 bay offset side kit; see Vic Roseman’s article in RMJ 10/2002, p.11. 12766 (red): Greenberg & Fischer p.97
Hopper, 33 ft, 55 ton, coal (HM) 12900-13399 1948
500
496 493 492 0 0 Built by Bethlehem; 2 bay offset side with 7 outside ribs. Side panels not riveted, probably stamped. HO: Kitbash from Atlas or Athearn 2 bay offset side kit; see Vic Roseman’s article in RMJ 10/2002, p.11. 12900 (red): Steam Era p. 61, RMJ 10/2002 p. 13 (w. drawing).
13356 (red): Ted Culotta’s Steam Era Freight Cars site
Hopper, 31 ft, 55 ton (HM) 13801-14000 1952-53
200
80 199 197 20 0 Built by LVRR
Hopper, 32′-4″, composite, 55 ton (HM) 14001-14560 1942
560
559 558 507 37 0 0 Built by Bethlehem Steel.  S: S Helper Service 00773 (14001)
Hopper, 34′-4″, composite, 55 ton (HM) 14561-14999 1943
439
438 438 431 82 0 0 Built by Bethlehem Steel. Rebuilt to all steel in 1955. 14958 (1966, red): Biery p.41
Hopper, wood
“King Coal”
15001-16314
(this series number used again below!)
1899-01
1000
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Built by AC&F. RMC 3/74 p. 54 (dwgs only).
John Swanson has kitbashing article in RMC 5/82 p. 70.
Hopper, 34′-1″ composite (steel after 1951), 55 ton (HM) 15001-15250 1936
250
250 249 244 243 240 0 0 Built by LVRR from Bethlehem underframes.
Survivors rebuilt as all steel in 1951.
HO: ARHS/Athearn (15001, 15098, 15140, 15165, 15219, 15343)
Athearn 05650 5-pack (15004, 15062, 15113, 15190, 15241). Chuck Davis’ model
Hopper, 32′ composite, 55 ton (HM) 15501-15750 1936
250
249 248 247 242 236 0 0 See above Chuck Davis’ model
Hopper, 34′-4″ composite, 55 ton (HM) 15751-15811 1943
61
61 60 60 32 0 0 Built by Bethlehem.
Hopper, 30′ IL, 31′-6″ OL, steel, 55 ton (HM) 16501-17000 1914 355 329 180 0 0 0 0 Standard Steel built. Some cars in the series were reduced to 50 ton capacity. 16702 (red): Greenberg & Fischer p.155
Hopper, 31′-6″ steel, 55 ton (HM) 17001-18000 1913
992
844   790 408 3 2 0 0 Some cars in this series were reduced to 50 ton capacity HO: Accurail 2527 (17148); Chuck Davis’ model
Hopper, 31′-6″ composite, 55 ton (HM) 17531 1934-37
1
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Rebuilt to composite type.
Hopper, 31′-6″ steel, 55 ton (HM) 18001-20000 1907
2000
1176   1174 101 0 0 0 0 Standard Steel built. Some cars in this series had only 50 ton capacity
Hopper, 30′-6″ IL (HM) 20001-21000 This number series was used again – see below! 1899
1000
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Built by Pressed Steel Car Co. HO: Westerfield 2405
(20573)
Westerfield 2455 (20819)
Westerfield 7408 (21048)
Hopper, 32′-3″ steel, 55 ton (HM) 20001-20500 1939
494
493 490 2 0 0 0 0 Rebuilt by LVRR, with Bethlehem parts. Chuck Davis’ model
Hopper, 32′ steel, 55 ton (HM) 20501-21000 1936
500
500 499 497 491 484 0 0 Built by LVRR with Bethlehem welded Duryea underframe Chuck Davis’ model
Hopper, 31′-6″ steel, 55 ton (HM) 21101-22100 1907
1000
574  570 32 0 0 0 0 Built by Standard Steel. Some cars in this series had only 50 ton capacity.
Hopper, 31′-6″ steel, 55 ton (HM) 22500-22999 1914
500
251 207 88 1 1 0 0 Built by Standard Steel. Some cars in this series had only 50 ton capacity. 22929 was last car.
Hopper, 31′-6″ steel, 55 ton (HM) 23000-23999 1905-06
1000
761 756 2 0 0 0 0 Built by Pressed Steel, orginally ordered by DS&S, absorbed by LV.
Hopper, 31′-6″ steel, 55 ton (HM) 24000-24999 1907
1000
576 567 52 0 0 0 0 Built by Standard Steel. Some cars in this series had only 50 ton capacity.
Hopper, 32′-4″, 55 ton, 2 bay, 6 panel  (HM) 25000-25939 1939-42
940
499 938 925 554 541 429 74 Bethlehem built. Rebuilt with straight side sills in 40s or 50s.
Early ORERs treat as two series: 25000-25499, and 25500-25939, but they are lumped together in the 1964 and 1974 ORERs, so are treated that way here.
HO: Stewart 10117 (25018), 10118 (25104), 10119 (25218)
Detailing article by Chuck Davis in RMC 8/95 p. 54.
O: K-Line (MDK) K6253-1651 (25500, 25404, 25410, 25414)
25000 (red): RMC 8/95 p. 54
25471 (red): Bossler, p. 81
25593 (black): 1960 photo by SD Marty on NEB&W web site.
25632 (red): builder’s photo from 1943 Cyc. on NEB&W web site.
Hopper, 43′-6″ composite, 70 ton (HT) 39998 6/27
1
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Built by AC&F
Hopper, 41′-6″ composite, 70 ton (HT) 39999 7/27
1
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Built by Standard Steel.
Hopper, 40′ IL steel, 70 ton (HT) 40000-40499 1926
500
0 0 0 0  0 0 0 Bethlehem built. Some recycled as covered hoppers, series 50100-50149
Hopper, 40′ IL steel, 70 ton (HT) 40500-40999 1927
500
0 0 0 0  0 0 0 Standard Steel built. Some recycled as covered hoppers, series 50100-50149
Hopper, 41′-6″ composite, 70 ton (HT) 41000-41699 1929
700
699  696 539 113 0 0 0 Built by Bethlehem. Rebuilt with steel sides starting in 1946.
Steel version is a 4 bay, 8 panel hopper.
The old Hobbyline kit is close.  Frequently available on eBay. Harry Owens’ model and Chuck Davis’ model #41150 and Chuck Davis’ model #41160 41254 (wood) & 41185 (steel): Steam Era p.58. same photos in RMC 8/97 p.80 (+dwgs)
Hopper, 29′-10″ composite, 55 ton (HM) 42000-42950  1937-41
849
849 846 841 458 9 0 0 Rebuilt from 40000-40999 by LVRR. Chuck Davis’ model #42544 and Chuck Davis’ model #42586
Hopper, 4 bay (HT) 43000-43029 1960
30
4 18 0 0 Rebuilt from 41000-41699 series, with raised sides

Sources:

The Official Railway Equipment Register, April 1964, October 1969 and October 1974 (Ed Schaller collection); April 1946 (Chuck Davis collection); July 1942, January 1953 and July 1960 (Larry Grubb collection).
CNJ/LV Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment, by Craig T. Bossler, Morning Sun Books, 1994.
Lehigh Valley Freight and Passenger Equipment Rosters, by Eric A. Neubauer, Society of Freight Car Historians, 1996.
Classic Freight Cars – The Series, by John Henderson & Henry Maywald, H&M Productions, 1990s.
Model Railroading, Railmodel Journal and Railroad Model Craftsman as noted in the References column.

Modeling Freight Cars

LV Fantasy Models – If you can’t find the car you are looking for on the prototype pages, it may be that there was no LV prototype! It may be listed on this page!

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