Rockhill Built 274 Hoppers

In 1912 the East Broad Top ordered ten all-steel, 30-ton twin-hopper cars from the Pressed Steel Car Company. They had greater volume than the wooden cars before them, but their high center of gravity caused derailments, and the railroad also bought thirty longer two-bay cars designed to overcome the swaying.

The railroad's shops stood at its Rockhill yard in Rockhill Furnace. In 1914, with shops capable of freight car construction, the East Broad Top began building its own coal hoppers, 180 cars in five years. They had three bays instead of the original two, a change that added five tons to each car's capacity.

By 1928, when the car building program ended, the East Broad Top had built 274 three-bay steel coal hoppers. It also rebuilt most of the old two-bay cars with three bays, and from 1943 to 1949 many of the hoppers had their capacity raised again, to 80,000 pounds, by a 14 inch steel band added around the top.

Checked 2026-10-30 · County histories and primary sources, read in full

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