Operator HO Scale Pullman-Standard 4785 Covered Hopper, Burlington Northern

One of the larger sizes offered in the Pullman-Standard covered hopper catalog, the PS-2CD 4785 cubic foot design could be optimized for a variety of commodities, from grain products, to chemical or mineral ladings. Introduced in 1967 and built at their Butler, PA plant, the basic design would see refinements to its basic design over its five-year production span. The end “cages” of the cars would change over this period, with revisions to the end grab iron and support arrangements. Later production would also feature tall shear plates as part of the end sills, adding another visual distinction to this family of cars.

And as common with other covered hopper production, the customer could option the cars with different roof hatch options; full-length trough, three-trough, or round hatches. The full-length trough hatches were typically applied to cars intended for grain duty, allowing easy loading from spouts used at grain elevators. Round hatches are easier to seal, and were preferred for cars designed for commodities that needed better protection from the elements. The three-trough option, unique to Cotton Belt, was essentially the full-length trough divided into three smaller sections, making it a “best-of-both-worlds” option that combined the ease of loading of the full-length trough, with the better sealing capability of a round hatch.

Different outlet types and brands could also be fitted, with gravity or gravity-pneumatic types installed for optimal handling of different commodities. Gravity outlets were preferred for grains, while the gravity-pneumatic outlet type offered greater flexibility in the types of commodities that could be handled. The gravity setting allowed the commodity to discharge from the outlets via normal gravity (such as grain), while the pneumatic setting allowed commodities to be unloaded via vacuum hose. This was used for ladings such as plastic pellets, or powdery chemical or foodstuff commodities, that would tend to “cake-up” in the outlet, and needed the vacuum for smoother and contamination-free unloading. Running board and end coupler platforms could also vary per customer option, with Apex (slotted-hole), Morton (round-hole), and U.S. Gypsum (diamond-hole) types seen fitted to these cars.