Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, ARA 70 Ton

History: 70 ton 3-bay offset side hoppers first appeared in the late '20s and by the late '30s had become an AAR standard design with cars being delivered from a number of builders in large quantities to railroads across the country. The last of these cars were delivered in the mid-'60s and many remained in service through the '80s. The ARA/AAR 70-ton Quad Hopper was a ubiquitous tool used by a variety of railroads. Primarily used for hauling coal loads, nearly 12,000 hoppers were built and delivered between 1926 and 1930.

Railroad/Company: The American Railway Association (ARA) was an industry trade group representing railroads in the United States. The organization had its inception in meetings of General Managers and ranking railroad operating officials known as Time Table Conventions, the first of which was held on October 1, 1872, at Louisville, Kentucky. In 1875, the group changed its name to General Time Convention and in October 1892, to American Railway Association. In January 1919, ten separate groups of operating officers were amalgamated with the association and carried on their activities as divisions, sections or committees of the larger group.
On October 12, 1934, the ARA ceased to exist, having joined with several other railroad industry trade groups to merge into the Association of American Railroads.

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