During World War I, the US railroads experienced a critical equipment shortage due to increased traffic needs. This 55 Ton Hopper Car was one of the body types designed by the United States Railroad Administration (USRA) to relieve this shortage. Built in 1918, 25,000 of these cars were primarily assigned to the great coal-hauling roads of the east and mid-west. The car design was very successful and later became one of the standard cars of the American Railway Association.
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