Asymmetric hopper cars

A railroad hopper car, comprising:

• (a) a car body having a pair of opposed sides and a pair of opposed ends defining a length;
• (b) a pair of wheeled trucks supporting the car body, each of the trucks being located adjacent a respective one of the pair of opposed ends;
• (c) two or more spaced bulkheads extending between the pair of opposed sides to define three or more separate hoppers arranged adjacent one another along the length of the car body and between the pair of side walls;
• and
• (d) the hoppers being longitudinally asymmetric such that total volume of the hoppers on one side of a transverse center plane of the car body is different from total volume of the hoppers on the other side of the transverse center plane,
• wherein the total volume of the hoppers on one side of the transverse center plane of the car body is greater than the total volume of the hoppers on the other side of the transverse center plane, and further comprising one or more brake components mounted to the car body and supported on one of the pair of wheeled trucks, the one or more brake components being located on the other side of the transverse center plane, wherein weight of the one or more brake components prevents weight imbalance of the railroad hopper car caused by the greater total volume of the hoppers on the other side of the transverse center plane.