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ARHS Special Run
Reading Company class HTw 70-ton triple hopper

The Model

Photo of production model

Decal artwork - click on image to see full size PDF version.

The Atlas Trainman 70 ton hopper nicely captures the appearance of the Reading Company class HTw hopper, even though the Atlas model is tw0 scale feet (1/4") too long to be perfectly accurate.  It has the proper details, including the heavier side stakes in the fourth and seventh positions.  The hoppers themselves are nicely proportioned, and overall the model gives the right "look" for the Reading cars.  The old MDC model, the only other model available to represent the RDG HTw hoppers, is the correct scale length but has crude detail and many dimensional errors.  We felt that the Atlas Trainman model was the best currently available choice for this special run.

The scheme with READING speed lettering is appropriate for cars operating from the mid 1960's through early Conrail.  ARHS has ordered 100 of these cars, unnumbered with decal sheets.  The decals were printed by Rail Graphics, from our artwork, using numerals and letters supplied by Atlas to match the printing on the car.    Price is $12.00.

The Prototype

1000 cars in series 60000 - 60999 were built for the Reading Company by Bethlehem Steel, following the general outline of the AAR alternate recommended practice, and delivered in 1956 with speed lettering and the red anthracite herald.  Repaints after 1959 omitted the anthracite herald.  These cars were also used in iron ore service.  Cars in ore service between Joanna and Bethlehem wore a stencil notice in white on black denoting this.  Cars in ore service between the Port Richmond ore docks and Bethlehem wore orange end panels with black stenciling.  523 class HTw hoppers were still in service with speed lettering on April 1, 1976.  100 HTw hoppers were rebuilt into class HTf in 1975, but wore the new large RDG paint scheme.

RDG 60141 in delivery scheme, 10-24-1956
Photo from collection of Rick Bates

RDG 60352 still wearing anthracite herald, 4-29-1972
Photo by Richard Zmijewski, via Nick Zmijewski

RDG 60192 in repaint scheme without anthracite herald, February 1976
Photo by Craig T Bossler

RDG 60455 in repaint scheme, 9-10-1977
Photo by Craig T Bossler

RDG HTw's with orange end panels at Port Richmond ore dock, 1966
Photo from Reading Company 1966 annual report, collection of Jack McNally

Although we can't read the reporting marks, two characteristics identify these hoppers at HTw's. 

1. There is not enough resolution to count the panels/ribs, but there are clearly only one panel to the left and right of the READING lettering, so there must be nine.

2. The reporting marks are placed low on the leftmost panel with the capacity data to the right rather than beneath the reporting marks.  This arrangement is unique to the HTw's.