Throwback Thursday: Soo Hoppers - Part One

Soo 75071 was photographed at St. Thomas on May 06, 1995.

By Peter Mumby. 

White-painted rail cars look really sharp……….until they don’t.  Unfortunately, light coloured cars weather badly and quickly and in spite of this tendency some Soo Line Railroad official made the decision back in the 1960s to paint much of the company’s freight car fleet white.  Today we will look at two covered hoppers that started out in bright white paint.  Soo 75071, from the 74834-75133 series, is a PS product of 1978.  Its white finish is reasonably well preserved.  Soo 72439, a “Colormark” car from the 71451-72449 series, was assembled by Magor in 1968.  Very little of its original finish is still apparent.  Both cars were photographed at the CN St. Thomas South yard on May 06, 1995.

Soo 72439 displays a few patches of white paint.