| 50-ton Hart Selective Ballast Hopper. “Though intended primarily for ballast service, cars of this design could also be used as conventional hoppers for other types of bulk loading. Their versatility enabled their owners to keep them busy in all seasons and when not needed in maintenance of way service they were often used to haul coal, gravel, sugar beets and other revenue freight. For almost half a century the Rodger Ballast Car Company had a very close relationship with the American Car & Foundry and almost all the Hart Selective ballast hoppers were built by AC&F. Even after Rodger’s advertising disappeared from the trade journals, AC&F continued marketing the Hart Design until it was rendered obsolete.” |