Rawil --
Unlike many eastern roads, the Burlington relied mainly on twin and triple
hoppers for most of its corporate life. According to Mike Spoor's CB&Q
Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Cars, the quads didn't come into
service until very late in the railroad's existence -- they were built
between 1963 and '69. That makes it pretty unlikely they would have seen
any sugar beet service (at least until after the merger). The thing to keep
in mind is that sugar beet service was sort of a last refuge for aging cars
-- one step away from MOW or Eola. When you see "beet service only" or the
equivalent on a car, read "Don't you dare use this piece of junk for
anything else." Burlington Bulletin 32 mentions various general service
drop-bottom gondolas as well twin and triple hoppers in beet service -- the
3-bays only diverted to that use after the quads were introduced in the
mid-'60s. But I see no mention of quads in beet service. I'm not saying it
never happened, but if so, only quite late, and it certainly would not have
been typical.
The idea of a model RR centered on the beet industry is terrific, though,
and the good news is that you have LOTS of other choices for rolling stock.
Accurail's 55-ton USRA twin hoppers (Colorado & Southern) are a natural,
and I believe you still can buy them in 6-packs. I recall seeing in a
recent Zephyr that someone is making supplemenal decals for these
especially for beet service. Dave Lotz at the Q Connection should know. The
War Emergency composite hoppers by Athearn or ...?? are also good choices.
Proto 1K makes a USRA drop-bottom gon in CB&Q lettering, as does
Intermountain. If you're into spending money on brass, consider Challenger
Imports' beautiful Rodger Selective Ballast cars. Many of these saw beet
service as well. And don't forget you'll need to import limestone for sugar
refining (more hoppers and gons) and have some tank cars on hand for
exporting molasses as well as covered hoppers & boxcars for outbound
shipments of refined sugar.
Have fun,
Jonathan
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