GLa 50 Ton Hopper
These cars are based on the PRR’s GLa class of 50-ton hoppers. Not fully satisfied with prior steel hopper cars, the PRR developed the GLa design in 1905. Unlike previous cars which used a heavy frame to support the load, the GLa used a slim center sill to handle forces along the train and the sides of the car acted as girders carrying the weight of the load. This significantly reduced the empty weight of the car compared to previous designs, meaning more coal could be carried on each train for higher profits.
The PRR alone went on to build around 30,000 of the class, making it the second most numerous class of cars on the railroad after the H21 hoppers, which themselves were essentially the GLa design lengthened to 4 bays. Aside from the PRR the design was purchased by several other railroads and private owners, mainly coal mines. Just over a decade after the GLa’s introduction, the 55-ton hoppers introduced as the USRA standard drew heavily from the GLa design, differing only in details. Both designs were commonly built well into the 1920s with some new cars being built into the 40s. In the mid ’30s some roads rebuilt their USRA cars with expanded "panel sides" for increased cubic capacity, giving them a distinct look.
This pack includes skins for the GLa, GLa cosplaying as a USRA hopper, and a few skins with panel sides. In total there are 75 skins:
- Pennsylvania, One-Line
- Pennsylvania, Lines West
- Pennsylvania, Two-Line
- Pennsylvania, Circle Keystone
- Pennsylvania, Coal Goes to War
- Pennsylvania, Shadow Keystone
- Pennsylvania, Plain Keystone
- Pennsylvania, Simplified
- Pennsylvania, Maintenance of Way
- Baltimore & Ohio
- Baltimore & Ohio, Capitol Dome
- Baltimore & Ohio, Billboard
- Chesapeake & Ohio
- Chesapeake & Ohio, Panel Sides
- Chesapeake & Ohio, Progress
- Western Maryland
- Western Maryland, Fast Freight
- Lehigh Valley, Red
- Lehigh Valley, Black
- Central Railroad of New Jersey, Fried Egg
- Central New Jersey, Liberty
- Reading
- Reading, Anthracite
- Long Island
- Long Island, Circle Keystone
- Interstate
- Interstate, Coal Goes to War
- Norfolk & Western
- Norfolk & Western, "Hamburger"
- Illinois Central
- Illinois Central, Mainline of Mid-Americal
- Bessemer & Lake Erie
- Bessemer & Lake Erie, US
- Frisco
- Frisco, Panel Side
- New York Central
- Pittsburgh & Lake Erie, New York Central System
- Michigan Central, New York Central Lines
- Pittsburgh McKeesport & Youghiogheny, New York Central Lines
- Cleveland Cincinnati Chicago & St. Louis "Big Four," New York Central Lines
- Clinchfield
- New York Ontario & Western
- Colorado & Southern, Burlington Route
- Delaware & Hudson
- Delaware Lackawanna & Western
- Louisville & Nashville
- Wabash
- Ann Arbor
- Lehigh & New England
- Detroit Toledo & Ironton
- Virginian
- Southern
- Erie
- Kewaunee Green Bay & Western
- Northern Pacific
- Pere Marquette
- Nickel Plate Road
- Rock Island
- New Haven
- Canadian National
- Grand Trunk Western
- Central Vermont
- Missouri Pacific
- Cumberland & Pennsylvania
- Buffalo Creek & Gauley
- Cambria & Indiana
- Susquehanna & New York
- Berwind White Coal
- New River & Pocahontas Coal
- Pennsylvania Coal & Coke Corporation
- Westmoreland Coal Company
- Keystone Coal & Coke
- Jamison Coal & Coke
- Peabody Short Line
- Generic Colorable
Yeah, I went a bit overboard on this one.
For the first time on my cars (and maybe ever in TPF2?) these cars support both random skins and random numbers simultaneously. Each car will get a different number for both the standalone version of each car, and when that car appears as part of the random car set.
And speaking of the random cars, in this mod it’s now fully configurable! Visit the mod settings before loading your game and you can choose which cars appear in the randomizer, weight which ones will show up more often, limit it to skins appropriate for a specific year, or even totally disable skins you aren’t using to save some loading time.
There’s also an asset version of the hopper which is fully configurable. You can select skins, cargo type, and load level. By default the asset version will inherit the random pool you set in the mod settings making it easy to place assets that match the mix of cars running on your trains. And of course they inherit the random numbers as well so each car looks unique.
Top Speed: 45 mph
Capacity: 13
Cargo Types: Coal, Stone, Iron Ore
Weight: 18 tons
Available: 1905-1982 (depending on skin)
Note: The cars will appear loaded to different levels depending on their cargo. Stone is slightly heavier than coal, and iron ore is much heavier. While the cars may appear less than half full when loaded with ore, they’re loaded to capacity. 50 tons is 50 tons even if it takes up less space. You’ll still move the same number of units of cargo and be paid fully for any cargo type, it’s a purely visual detail.
