A hopper car (US) or hopper wagon (UIC) is a type of railroad freight car used to transport loose bulk commodities such as coal, ore, grain, and track ballast. Two main types of hopper railcars: covered hopper cars, which are equipped with a roof, and open hopper cars, which are open top.
This type of car is distinguished from a gondola car. Saferack SAS Gangway was installed for gondola railcars in Canada to protect workers when loading molten sulfur. As you can see in the installed SAS gangway for gondola cars — they have opening doors on the underside or on the sides to discharge its cargo. The development of the hopper car went along with the development of automated handling of such commodities, with automated loading and unloading facilities.
Covered hopper cars are used for bulk cargo such as grain, sugar, and fertilizer that must be protected from exposure to the weather. Open hopper cars are used for commodities such as coal, which can suffer exposure with less detrimental effects. Hopper cars have been used by railways worldwide whenever automated cargo handling has been desired. “Ore jennies” is predominantly a term for shorter open hopper cars hauling taconite by the Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railway on Minnesota’s Iron Range.
A rotary car dumper permits the use of simpler and more compact (because sloping ends are not required) gondola cars instead of hoppers. Covered hoppers, though, are still in widespread use.
Railcar Hopper Car Handrails are using for loading and unloading and is required to be OSHA compliant railcar loading
Photo: Donnie Marcos
MaxRacks with Hopper cars protect your employees working on rail cars. Hopper car handrails also help maximize fall protection for employees who need to access multiple hatches at one time.
