![hopper car hopper car](https://www.american-rails.com/images/4986701u4yrj1987087.jpg)
“Union Pacific has been our largest and best customer over the last hundred-plus years,” said Brent Pfeiffer, GM of PVS Structures.
![hopper car hopper car](https://grzy-cdn.azureedge.net/content/images/thumbs/0031787_burlington-northern-hopper-car-6-pack.jpeg)
So when Union Pacific needed steel over the years - or centuries - PVS often delivered. PVS was founded in 1885 in Omaha, Nebraska, the very same city in which Union Pacific is headquartered. The Omaha Sub Bridge has been around for 116 years, but Union Pacific’s relationship with PVS has been around even longer. Following a competitive bidding process, Union Pacific’s Supply Department selected PVS Structures (formerly known as Paxton Vierling Steel) as the fabricator for the project. That is scheduled to happen, per Union Pacific’s replacement plan, in 2024. The Omaha Subdivision railroad bridge in Elkhorn, Nebraska, dates back to 1906 - so it is time for that bridge to take a bow and for a newer, stronger bridge to take its place. How Are Open-Top Hoppers Loaded and Unloaded? They range from 37 to 44 feet long, have two to three compartments and can carry loads from 166,000 to 230,300 lbs. Small Open-Top Hopper - Small open-top hoppers carry commodities like sand, rock and copper concentrate.They range from 51 to 57 feet long, have three or four compartments and can carry loads from 185,000 to 243,800 lbs. Large Open-Top Hopper - Large open-top hoppers carry commodities like coal, petroleum coke, sand and rock.What Are the Different Types of Open-Top Hoppers? Each compartment has its own chute, and these chutes are angled so product can flow through quickly and easily. The bottom of an open-top hopper has chutes (also known as “gates” or “outlet gates”) that can be opened to unload the product. Heavier products ship in small open-top hoppers. Small open-top hoppers have two to three compartments and large open-top hoppers have three or four. Open-top hoppers have anywhere from two to four compartments. The inside of an open-top hopper has compartments that can be loaded and unloaded individually. Open-top hoppers look just like covered hopper cars, with fixed sides and ends, but they don’t have a roof on top.