HO Western Maryland 2-Bay U-Channel "Speed" Hopper Decals

This set was produced to introduce a more comprehensive set for these classes, which hadn't been done by previous manufacturers.

The Western Maryland’s biggest revenue traffic on the line was coal, so they had lots of hoppers throughout their lifetime. The majority of their hopper fleet through 1963 were 2-bay cars. One of the early types which lasted into the 1950’s eras to get repainted into the Speed Lettering. After the program to rebuild a portion of the U-channel hopper fleet into Woodchip Hoppers, approximately 6000 cars remained for coal and aggregate service. Some of these cars had a service specific “Medusa Service” donut herald applied to the side of the cars for those used in aggregate service for Medusa cement on the York Subdivision. The U-Channel fleet lasted in this scheme until retirement due to age in 1975.
    
This sheet has data to 2 cars with enough data for multiple data variations. The HM hopper class designator was applied to cars through to the mid-1960’s, when class specific designators were applied instead. Please reference photos for specific examples. The U-channel hopper has been done in plastic by Bowser/Stewart.

This product is licensed by CSX.

For further references in regard to WM’s 2-Bay U-Channel Hopper fleet in the Speed Scheme, please consult the The Blue Mountain Express, Spring 1992, Vol. 21 No. 2, Pages 15-19, published by the WMRHS.