Here is Ed Hawkins' response to the leased SHPX covered hopper longevity question.
On May 1, 2013, at 8:59 AM, HOL WAGNER wrote:
I've misplaced your personal e-mail address, so I'm using this one. Al Hoffman was just here yesterday and I could have gotten it from him, but the inquiry below just came through today. Don't know if you have more definitive information now on the leased SHPX hoppers than you did way back when, but knew you would be the person who would have the answer to this question if anybody does. Thanks.
Hol
Hi Hol,
Unfortunately I don't know a thing about the longevity of SHPX cars leased to CB&Q and how long the railroad continued to lease them. Based on what I've learned from seeing other SHPX leased cars, both covered hoppers and tank cars, if the lessee stencils on a new car was small (1"), the car was on a short-term lease. A long-term lease of 10 years allowed the lessee to have their company name in larger-size lettering and other graphics applied.
If this logic prevailed on the SHPX covered hoppers leased to CB&Q, then they on short-term lease of probably one year or maybe less. Without having access to any SHPX lease records, it becomes a case of finding a later in-service photo of a car originally leased to CB&Q to see who leased the car. I have not found any later photos of cars from the two series of SHPX cars originally leased to CB&Q (25578-25587, painted black, built 2-48, and 25588-25562, painted gray, built 3-48).
Ed