Darn it if I didn't have my camera on me, but the Great Falls malt plant local was heading north out of town today, with a green SLSF hopper in the consist. How many were painted such? Pre or post-BN?
What you saw was likely a member of SLSF's last order of these (P-S 100 ton?) delivered in the summer of 1980 pre-merger. SLSF knew things were headed GREEN so they were delivered in a scheme that could be easily integrated with BN post-merger. About 300 were delivered. -Mike
Yes, PS or somthing similar, 100-ton range, covered hopper in grain service. This one still has SLSF 5-digit numbers, and faded paint. First of its kind I have seen!
First one I ever saw was in Afton, OK on the Frisco's Cherokee Sub in late November 1980 (after the BN merger). The most recent I've seen was in an EB BNSF train on the Transcon in New Mexico last year. Easy to do in HO- take one Athearn blue-box P-S hopper, paint Floquil Cascade Green, add decals (in the case of the SLSF and road number, dry transfers), add Kadees, and presto. After 27 years, I wouldn't be surprised to see them with reporting marks of other lessors.
This was what I saw last year near Grants, NM: Faded paint, grime covering the sides, but the marks still showing through. When new, the green pain was shiny.
They also did the same with an order of Northern Pacific hoppers. Which arrived in a green that weathered about the same as your photo. Boxcab E50
