Hopper - Covered
PRR #257912
PRR covered hopper #257912 was a Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) H34C class two-bay covered hopper, built in 1957 by Pullman-Standard's Butler, Pennsylvania Shops. Capacity: 2,003 cubic feet. Used for transporting dense granular commodities such as cement and some types of grain. Grey with black lettering and running on Bettendorf trucks. Covered hoppers were developed for more efficient transport of powdered or granular products requiring protection from moisture, like cement previously shipped in bags in boxcars. The H34 series was a line of 70-ton, two-bay covered hoppers, beginning with 300 PS-2 cars built by Pullman-Standard in 1954, followed by additional batches through 1958, totaling 1900 cars. The H34 class covered hoppers, including #257912, were used extensively by the PRR and later passed on to Penn Central and some even to Conrail.