Abstract: A high volume covered hopper railroad car is disclosed which maximizes the lading volume of a car while still utilizing smooth, sheet-like side sheets, and while remaining within AAR clearances. The high lading volume is achieved by forming the side sheets of the car from three radii of curvature, with the radius of curvature of the lower section of the side sheets being relatively short thereby to provide enhanced resistance to buckling, with the mid-portion of the side sheets of a relatively large radius of curvature thereby to provide a generally vertical region of the side sheets, and with the upper region of the side sheets being of a shorter radius of curvature thereby to again provide greater resistance to buckling at the top margin of the side sheets.