50-FOOT GONDOLAS
Early in the twentieth century, railroads introduced longer gondolas designed specifically for the steel industry. Known as “mill gondolas”, the majority featured drop ends to allow shipping of commodities that were longer than the car. They carried the AAR designation of GB: “A car with fixed sides, fixed or drop ends and solid bottom, suitable for mill trade”. The earliest cars had lengths between forty-six and fifty feet. By the late thirties, railroads had adopted a standard mill gondola length of 52’ 6”.
This page covers N-scale gondola models between forty-five and fifty-two feet in length.
50’ STRAIGHT SIDE COMPOSITE GONDOLAS
MICRO-TRAINS
In the late twenties, several railroads acquired fleets of long composite gondolas. Most had an inside length of 48’ 6” and were type “GH” or “GS” cars with drop bottoms for handling coal. Some were equipped with drop end so they could be used for the mill trade. Micro-Trains offers a model of these cars with both a drop-end (60000 series) and a fixed end (61000 series). The model was designed to fit atop the standard underframe for gondolas and flats, and as a result is about 1-1/2 feet too long. The road names offered are discussed below:
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY- The apparent prototype for the model was Burlington series 195000-196499. They were solid bottom type “GB” gondolas featuring a ten-panel Howe truss and drop ends like the model. The model differs in having a fishbelly underframe and small cleanout doors at the bottom of the second and ninth panels.
MILWAUKEE ROAD- The model is numbered for Milwaukee series 80000-81034, one of three type “GH” series with a twelve-panel Howe truss, higher sides, and eight drop bottom doors. The figures in the chart are the totals for all three series.
ROCK ISLAND- The Rock Island cars were type “GS” with eighteen drop doors and fixed ends. Like the forty-foot USRA gondolas, they had a nine-panel Howe truss with no diagonal brace in the center panel. Some cars were rebuilt with steel sides, though I don’t know if the diagonal braces were retained. Figures on the chart marked with an asterisk indicate steel rebuilt cars.
50’ COMPOSITE FISHBELLY GONDOLAS
MICRO-TRAINS and ARNOLD
In order to conserve steel during World War II, a series of composite freight car designs was developed. One was a type GB gondola with an inside length of 52’ 6” and a fourteen-panel fishbelly truss. Known as “war emergency” cars, they were designed to be easily rebuilt with steel sides after the war.
The Micro-Trains composite fishbelly gondola is a model of these war-emergency cars. Though a decent model, they suffer from being compressed to a fifty-foot length in order to fit on the common underframe used by Micro-trains for its gondolas and flat cars. Arnold Rapido sold a model with the correct length years ago, but none of the road names offered were appropriate for the car.
The Micro-Trains model came in two variations: with drop ends (62000 series) and fixed ends (63000). The seam detail on the wood sides of the model is rather faint, so these models could easily pass for cars rebuilt with steel sides. Two of the road names offered by Micro-Trains actually represent rebuilt cars, and several could pass for cars with either wood or steel sides. As this was a standard design, all of the road names should be accurate for the model. However, there were some interesting developments…
CENTRAL NEW JERSEY- In 1946, the CNJ re-lettered many of its cars for the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania, a paper subsidiary established to avoid New Jersey taxes. This arrangement was struck down by the courts in 1952, and the cars were gradually re-lettered for the CNJ.
GRAND TRUNK WESTERN- The GTW was the only railroad to have cars with fixed ends.
NORFOLK & WESTERN- Most of N&W’s cars were designated as type “LG” cars for carrying bulk containers of lime, carbide or coke.
PENNSYLVANIA- Micro-Trains 62010 represents the as-delivered cars, which were designated G30; while 62070 represents a rebuilt G30a car.
READING- The green Reading model (62060) represents a series of rebuilt cars purchased second-hand from the Jersey Central in 1968.
O-T-D CORPORATION- In examining the chart below, these were most likely second-hand cars from Rock Island. The Equipment Registers indicate that they carried seven “rubber containers”. I don’t know whether this meant the containers were made of rubber or carried it.
The chart below is a comprehensive list of war emergency gondolas. The totals include rebuilt cars which are marked with an asterisk. Perhaps this information will spur a manufacturer into producing a correct-length run of these cars; or at least some more road names (NYC!) from Micro-Trains.
46-FOOT 12-PANEL STRAIGHT-SIDE GONDOLA
LIMA, AHM & MODEL POWER
In the early days of N scale, Lima (Italy) produced a forty-six foot gondola which was also sold by AHM and Model Power. With twelve-panels, fixed ends and straight sides, it appears to be a model of Pennsy’s G-29 gondola. Pennsy built two thousand G29’s in 1941, as well as one thousand “War Emergency” G-29a and G29b gondolas with wood sides in 1943. The diagonal braces were retained when the wood sides of the 1943 cars were replaced with steel, so the chart below includes only the original G-29’s.
Some of the road names available on this body style are stand-ins for modern 52’6” gondolas, which had fourteen or fifteen panels and fishbelly sides. Since more accurate models are available from Athearn, Roundhouse and Micro-Trains and I haven’t gotten that far in my research, I won’t cover them in detail here.
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE- Santa Fe’s twelve-panel cars had an inside length of 48’6”, drop ends, side-mounted handbrake and small cleanout doors on the second and eleventh panels. The paint scheme on the Lima gondola is terrible, with grossly oversized reporting marks and no road number, so Micro-Trains 48060 is a much better stand-in for these cars.
CANADIAN NATIONAL- CN owned a series of gondolas with identical dimensions to the Canadian Pacific cars mentioned below. Unfortunately, Lima 434 features a poorly rendered version of the large “noodle” initials adopted around 1961.
CANADIAN PACIFIC- Lima 436 is numbered for a series of eleven-panel cars with drop ends and an inside length of 48’ 6”.
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN- AHM 4420 could stand in for Rio Grande’s type GS drop-bottom gondolas, however Micro-Trains 08300060 (40’) and Trainworx 2601-01 (46’) are more accurate models.
NEW HAVEN- AHM 4425 represents two series of forty-foot ten-panel gondolas refurbished by the New Haven in 1955.
SOUTHERN- AHM 4423 represents a series of aluminum type GT gondolas with twelve panels, high sides and an inside length of 47’8”. Fox Valley Models 83406 is an accurate model of this series, which operated only in unit trains.
UTAH COAL ROUTE- AHM 4424 represents the Utah Coal Route’s 40’ type GS drop-bottom gondolas. Like Trainworx 2617-01, it is six feet too long, but at least the Trainworx model has the correct amount of panels.
50-FOOT 14-PANEL STRAIGHT-SIDE GONDOLAS
MICRO TRAINS
Micro-Trains produced two versions of a 14-panel straight-side gondola. The 48000 series features drop ends and a side mounted brakewheel while the 105700 series has fixed ends. I’m not sure what these models represent, as none of the road names match the model. One candidate for the drop-end version would be Western Maryland series 50701-50800; except for the 52’6” length, it is a close match. Lehigh Valley also had two series of 50’ drop-end gondolas that closely match the model. Except for a Lehigh Valley special run, Micro-Trains has not yet produced these roadnames. I’ve included them in the chart below, just in case Micro-Trains would like to produce them.
Many of the older schemes are stand-ins for the USRA gondola, which is not yet available in N-scale. These 46-foot long cars had thirteen panel sides, fishbelly underframes and vertical brakewheels. The lower three-foot sides of USRA gondolas create the impression of a longer car, so the Micro-Trains model does a fair job of passing for one. The “Road” column in the chart includes the length and number of panels for each series where known.
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE- Micro-Trains 48060 represents Santa Fe’s Ga-53 gondola. These twelve-panel cars had an inside length of 48’6”, drop ends, small cleanout doors on the second and eleventh panels and a side-mounted brakewheel like the model.
BALTIMORE & OHIO- The B&O acquired a large fleet USRA gondolas shortly after the First World War which were designated as class O-27. Micro Trains 48020 represents class O-27m, a group of cars refurbished in the fifties.
CANADIAN NATIONAL- Micro-Trains 04800120 is numbered for a series of 48’6” gondolas modified with fixed ends for hauling ore concentrate. They were adapted from a series of drop-end gondolas, whose dimensions match those of eleven-panel cars owned by Canadian Pacific.
CHICAGO GREAT WESTERN- Micro-Trains 48100 is numbered for a group of three gondolas which were equipped with “DF” loading devices in the early sixties. They were rebuilt from a series of 14-panel fixed-end gondolas with an inside length of 50’6 built in 1952.
DELAWARE, LACKAWANNA & WESTERN- Micro Trains 48070 is numbered for a series of 48’6” thirteen-panel gondolas built in 1944. The model may not be painted in the “as-delivered” scheme; the large initials were likely adopted in 1955 when the large Gothic name began appearing on boxcars.
ILLINOIS TERMINAL- Micro-Trains 48050 is numbered for a short-lived series of covered gondolas that had been rebuilt from a series of 48’6” gondolas numbered 3200-3249. It could also be a stand-in for modern 52’6” gondolas delivered in the seventies, but the Roundhouse/Athearn model would be a closer match.
MILWAUKEE ROAD- Micro-Trains 48110 represents a series of modern 52’6 gondolas with fourteen panels fixed ends. Athearn 23631 would be a closer match for this these cars.
NEW YORK CENTRAL- Micro-Trains 10500721 represents the Central’s fleet of type LG cement container cars, which were USRA gondolas with holes cut into the sides. (See the “Special Gondolas” page for more details). If you remove the load, however, they could stand in for NYC’s drop-end USRA gondolas.
PENNSYLVANIA- Micro Trains 48010 is numbered for Pennsy’s G22; a fixed-end gondola similar to USRA gondolas. They could also represent Pennsy’s G25 gondolas which were USRA cars with drop ends, so both classes are included in the chart.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC- Micro-Trains 48030 represents Espee’s G-50-14 gondola, which had 15-panel sides, drop ends, a fishbelly underframe and a vertical brake staff. They were gradually renumbered into series 310165-310339 beginning in 1956.
RAILGON (GONX)- The Micro-Trains four-pack of weathered graffiti Railgon cars also feature “patched” reporting mark. The earliest photo I could find for such cars was dated 2004.
KOPPERS (KGCX)- Micro-Trains 10500711 represents type 48’6” LG gondolas which were used for hauling coke.
THRALL 52’6” 15-PANEL CORRUGATED GONDOLAS
TRAINWORX
Because of the heavy loads they carry, gondolas take an incredible amount of abuse. You can spot a gondola with dented and bulged sides on nearly any passing freight train. In the sixties, car builders introduced corrugated panels on gondolas, which were intended to strengthen their sides.
Trainworx introduced their N-scale Thrall 2244 cubic foot gondola in 2013 with both smooth sides and corrugated sides. The model features fishbelly sides with fifteen panels in which the end panels are smooth. It is a nicely detailed model with body-mounted couplers. It matches two series of 400 Thrall gondolas delivered to Great Northern in 1966 numbered 78400-78799. Trainworx offers several roadnames which differ a bit from the model as described below.
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE- Santa Fe received two series of 14-panel corrugated gondolas with smooth end panels. The first series, 73000-73299 was delivered by Magor Car in 1961. The second series, 87801-87899, was delivered by Greenville Steel Car in 1966. The Greenville cars were originally delivered as covered gondolas, but their covers were later removed. Some later were re-equipped with hoods for steel coils and renumbered 68200-68224.
BURLINGTON NORTHERN- In 1972, BN received a total of 450 fifteen-panel gondolas from Thrall in which the two end panels were flat, Numbered 565450-565899, the first 150 carried Colorado & Southern reporting marks. In 1975, they received 500 more cars with taller sides numbered, 560350-560849. The gondolas inherited from Great Northern were numbered into the 559000-559399 series. The Trainworx model uses placards to simulate the smooth second end panel of the Burlington Northern cars.
CONRAIL AND PENN CENTRAL- Between 1966 and 1970, the Pennsylvania Railroad and Penn Central produced a total of 3,700 G43 gondolas. Numbered 576000-579249, they featured low sides, slight fishbelly sides, twelve corrugated panels and placards for car numbers and logos. Conrail later equipped hundreds of G43’s with troughs for handling steel coils, renumbering them into 600000 series as on the Trainworx model.
MISSOURI PACIFIC- In 1967, Thrall delivered eighty fifteen panel gondolas to the MP. Numbered 640250-640329, all fifteen panels were corrugated. In 1975-1976 MP acquired three series of gondolas totaling 600 cars from Thrall and their own shops. Numbered 640550-641149, they had fourteen corrugated panels with placards covering the second panel from each end.
NORFOLK SOUTHERN- In the mid-nineties, NS acquired a few Missouri Pacific 14-panel cars second hand, numbering them in the 194270-194599 series with some smooth side former Baltimore & Ohio gondolas. With the 1999 breakup of Conrail, Norfolk Southern inherited 1,560 G43 twelve-panel gondolas, of which 558 were 600000 series cars for handling steel coils. Though they initially kept their CR reporting marks, they were eventually changed to NS.
UNION PACIFIC- Union Pacific received 500 corrugated gondolas from Bethlehem Steel and Gunderson in 1966. Numbered 31100-31599, they had fifteen panels, all of which were corrugated. In 1982, the company shops built 75 covered gondolas which had straight side frames and fourteen panels. The second panel from each end was smooth, and they were painted yellow to indicate their cushion underframes. Intermountain is currently taking pre-orders for an accurate model of these cars.
52’6” 14-PANEL CORRUGATED GONDOLAS
INTERMOUNTAIN
Because of the heavy loads they carry, gondolas take an incredible amount of abuse. You can spot a gondola with dented and bulged sides on nearly any passing freight train. In the sixties, car builders introduced corrugated panels on gondolas, which were intended to strengthen their sides.
Intermountain is accepting pre-orders for their N-scale corrugated gondolas. The model features a straight side frame with fourteen panels of which the second panel from both ends are smooth. They are apparently models of a small series of covered gondolas built by Union Pacific in 1982. However, Constructora Nacional de Carros de Ferrocarril (CNCF) built large numbers of nearly identical gondolas for Missouri Pacific and Mexican National Railways in the late seventies and early eighties. The most notable difference is that the UP cars had individual grab irons while the CNCF cars had full ladders.
BURLINGTON NORTHERN- In 1972, BN received a total of 450 fifteen-panel fishbelly side gondolas from Thrall in which the two end panels were smooth. Numbered 565450-565899, the first 150 carried Colorado & Southern reporting marks. Trainworx offers a more accurate model of these cars, but they are numbered for the 560350-560799 series.
FERROMEX- Between 1980 and 1982, the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico (NdeM) received 3.500 CNCF gondolas numbered 150000-118499. NdeM was privatized in 1998, becoming Ferrocarril Mexicano (FXE) The NdeM cars were initially given FXE reporting marks with no change in number, but were gradually renumbered into the 900000 series. The July, 1999 Equipment Register shows 1,566 cars with their original numbers with only 54 cars in the 900000 series.
MISSOURI PACIFIC- 1n 1977 and 1978, MP received two series of 2,400 gondolas from CNCF numbered 641150-643549. The change from the “Buzzsaw” logo to the “Eagle” logo occurred in mid-series, so the quantities shown in the chart below are approximate.
NORFOLK SOUTHERN- In 1998, NS acquired a few Missouri Pacific gondolas second hand, numbering them in the 194330-194533 series.
UNION PACIFIC- In 1982, the company shops built 75 covered gondolas. Numbered 97000-97074, they were painted yellow to indicate their cushion underframes.
