MEDCO Ballast Car

Information from Westerfield Models describes the car as follows: The Pressed Steel Car Company, formerly Shoen Pressed Steel Company, developed the first all-steel hopper cars in 1896-97. The cars looked like coal hoppers and in 1899 PSC offered its first all-steel car designed specifically for the ore trade: 22', 40 ton or 50 ton (depending on trucks) car. Like the hopper cars they had a fishbelly side sill, but unlike the paired double hoppers the sloped sheets were tapered down to two hoppers in the center of the car. Since a center sill was not possible, a box frame surrounded the hoppers, connected to the body bolsters.

All cars used New York air brakes and PCS diamond arch bar trucks were standard equipment. A feature of most of these cars was knock holes on the sides of the cars, matched by holes in the hopper. The interior holes were covered by flaps. As the name suggests, poles were shoved into the holes to knock the packed ore loose so it would flow. In winter, steam lines were inserted to thaw the ore. Generally, cars came with two holes. Later Great Northern cut an additional three more holes in its cars. The Westerfield article adds that GN purchased 50 PCS ore cars in 1899 and another 450 in 1900, numbered 742001-75199, odd numbers only. Studies of surviving cars strongly suggest that cars numbered below 75000 remained with GN and those above belonged to GN's subsidiary, Eastern Minnesota Railway. The cars were originally painted dark ( Pullman ?) green and stenciled at 100,000 lbs. In 1913, GN began a general renumbering of all freight equipment and the ore cars became 85289-85777 (including the absorbed EMRY in 1902) and painted box car red.

History of the Society's Hopper car:

Built for the Great Northern Railroad in 1899 or 1900 by the Pressed Steel Car Company, (GN #74735). Originally painted dark green (almost black) and stenciled at 100,000 lbs.

Sold to the first Melones Dam Project (California) by the Great Northern in 1924.

Ownership transferred to the Sierra Railway after the completion of the dam project.. (Per Kyle K. Wyatt, Curator of History and Technology, California State Railroad Museum, Personal Communication, 3/14/11).

Became Sierra Railroad #138 in 1937 after the bankruptcy of the the Sierra Railway. SRR reporting marks found on our car prove the car was in Sierra RR ownership until sometime after 1937.

NO record after 1937 until June 1957. A complete appraisal of the Medford Corporation and the Medford Logging Railroad does not include this car but does include four wooden ballast cars.