Conrail
Being formed from Northeastern railroads that specialized in hauling coal from mines to power plants or transport ships, Conrail had a large and diverse fleet of hoppers. Explore this gallery to discover photos, rosters, and detailed info about the many Conrail hopper classes.
Survivors
Until Conrail's last days as a Class 1 railroad, hoppers still painted and numbered for predecessor railroads like Penn Central, Reading Company, Erie Lackawanna, and others survived in service on the railroad, as seen in this gallery of assorted hopper classes.
HE7A 70-Ton
The HE7A was Erie Lackawanna's final hopper order. A low-capacity, 3-bay hopper, the HE7A survived through the 1990's, with many still painted in EL colors. They were in series EL 33250-33999 and CR 421585-423882.
HTe 100-Ton
Built in the Reading Car Shops in 1971, the HTe was Reading Company's second-to-last order of hoppers. They hauled iron ore and coal on both the Reading Company and Conrail, often remaining in Reading's famous 'speed lettering' paint scheme. They were in series RDG 41650-41849.
HTg 100-Ton
Built in the Reading Car Shops shortly before Conrail, the HTg was Reading Company's last order of hoppers. Over 800 of these hoppers remained in service through the 1990's. They were in series RDG 483501-484600 and later CR 483501-484600.
H43 100-Ton
Originally built by the Pennsylvania, the ubiquitous 100-ton H43 remained in service well into the 1990's. In 1977, they primarily were in series PRR 180000-181999, PRR 225000-230499, PC 472000-483500, and CR 472000-483500. By 1991, however, only 31 remained in PRR numbers.