A hopper is also a kind of train car, used to carry large quantities of dry goods.

There are two varieties of hopper, covered and open;

  • Covered hoppers consist of two or three compartments with openings at the top and bottom of each compartment, and are for commodities which must be shielded from the elements, such as grain and chemicals.
  • Open hoppers are often used for sawdust, wood chips, coal, and the like.

ACF manufactures a lot of these cars.