Peter's Model Railroading - My Library - Magazines - Freight Cars

Category Description: Information about model and prototype gondolas.

A Tale of Two Gondolas

NASG Dispatch 2010-04 pg. 13 Scale: S Author: Edwin C Kirstatter

Converting two O-27 gondolas to 46-foot, close-enough, S-scale gondolas, one for the Pennsylvania Railroad and one for the B&O. Includes a couple of paragraphs on how the author built two different pipe loads.

Building a Urethane PRR GRa-class Gondola Kit

1:64 Modeling Guide 2008 Fall pg. 22 Scale: S Author: Bill Lane

Bill describes how to built this kit, but not necessarily using all the kit's parts. Includes discussion on how to paint the model and several construction and final photos.

C&NW 40' Steel Gondola Conversion

N Scale Railroading 2003-11/12 pg. 51 Scale: N Author: Keith M. Kohlmann

Using a 50-foot Micro-Trains gondola, the author describes how he created a model of the prototype. Includes a parts list.

C&O Pipe Gondola

Railroad Model Craftsman 2003-08 pg. 62 Scale: (none) Author: William C. Schaumburg

The C&O and B&O ordered 125 65.5' gondolas in 1969 from Bethlehem Steel. Article includes scale drawings and prototype photos.

Canadian Bathtub Gondolas

Railroad Model Craftsman 1996-03 pg. 64 Scale: (none) Author: Patrick Lawson

The article covers the history of CP Rail coal unit trains, shows a roster of the "bathtub" cars, includes prototype photos, and comes with full scale drawings of all sides. Suggestions as to how to model this car are briefly covered for HO and N scale.

Casting Your Own Freight Cars

Model Railroader 1983-01 pg. 82 Scale: (none) Author: David F. Thompson

This is a good article on how to make castings, and more specifically about how to make gondolas. The article covers making the master, constructing the casting frame, making the mold, removing the master, making the castings, and removing and cleaning the castings.

Class GS Supplement

The Keystone Modeler 06 January 2004 pg. 0 Scale: Author: Elden Gatwood

Follow-up article showing some of the model photos for the November, 2003 article.

Creating a Steel Slab Load

The Keystone Modeler 06 January 2004 pg. 0 Scale: HO Author: Garrett Rea

The author describes how he built modeled the steel slabs in a Westerfield G22 gondola.

Denver & Rio Grande Western's Narrow-gauge Gondolas

Model Railroader 1978-08 pg. 58 Scale: Author: Allen J. Brewster

Prototype information, lots of photos, and scale drawings.

Detailing a Milwaukee Road 65-foot Mill Gondola

Railroad Model Craftsman 2010-05 pg. 46 Scale: N Author: Keith M. Kohlmann

The author describes how he detailed an Athearn gondola. Includes a prototype photo, and a description of how to adjust the bolsters to support the Micro-Trains or Fox Valley Models trucks.

Eastern Seaboard Models N-Scale PRR G26 Mill Gondola

The Keystone Modeler 72 Winter 2010 pg. 5 Scale: N Author: Bob Losse Jr.

This is a product review of the model. It includes a brief history and prototype photos.

Essential Freight Cars Part 25

Railroad Model Craftsman 2005-11 pg. 95 Scale: (none) Author: Ted Culotta

This article covers the steam-era gondolas of the Pennsylvania and New York Central railroads. Includes many model and prototype photos of both railroads.

Essential Freight Cars Part 26

Railroad Model Craftsman 2005-12 pg. 100 Scale: (none) Author: Ted Culotta

This article covers loads for gondolas and shows prototype and model photos of various loads, such as crates, structural steel, tanks, and scrap.

HO scale PRR G31L #372165

The Keystone Modeler 73 Spring 2010 pg. 6 Scale: HO Author: Kurt Kruse

The author converted a Tangent Scale Models G31b into an "L" subclass model.

Kitbashing Central of New Jersey Composite Gondolas

Railroad Model Craftsman 1996-04 pg. 80 Scale: HO Author: Alan Mende

The author took four Mehano 50-foot gondolas (train-set quality) and rebuilt them to accurately match the CNJ prototype.

Modeling a 41-foot Nickel Plate Steel Gondola

Railroad Model Craftsman 2010-04 pg. 45 Scale: HO Author: Montford Switzer

Using an Accurail kit, the author super-detailed the model. Includes prototype and model photos, a materials list, and a prototype roster.

Modeling a Fruehauf Conrail Gondola

Model Railroading 2005-11 pg. 20 Scale: HO Author: Ken Edmier

Covers modeling gondolas built by Fruehauf in 1971 and 1972 for Penn Central using Rail Yard Models kits. Article includes many model and prototype photos. Includes using the Coiled Wire load made by Chooch Enterprises.

Modeling a Lehigh Valley Mill Gondola

Railroad Model Craftsman 2010-11 pg. 47 Scale: HO Author: Chuck Davis

A large number of the Lehigh Valley's gondola fleet were these 50-foot 13-rib straight side gondolas. The author used two Accurail 41-foot USRA steel gondola models to kitbash one of these cars. He describes the process he went through. The article includes one prototype photo, several close-up model photos, prototype roster, scale drawings, and describes how to make a steel plate load for the car.

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad's Gondola Fleet Part 1

The Keystone Modeler 02 September 2003 pg. 5 Scale: (none) Author: Elden Gatwood

This introductory installment of the in-depth series of articles covering the PRR's large fleet of gondola includes historical information, a break-down of all the gondola classes, and several photos of models.

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Gondola Fleet Part 2

The Keystone Modeler 03 October 2003 pg. 0 Scale: HO Author: Elden Gatwood

This installment covers the GR and three-foot longer GRa. These were created around the 1900's and most were retired by the 1950's. It was essentially a flat car with wooden side extensions. Includes model photos, original scale drawing, and complete description of the construction of the Funaro & Camerlengo resin kit. The GRa model is built from a Westerfield kit.

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Gondola Fleet Part 3

The Keystone Modeler 04 November 2003 pg. 0 Scale: HO Author: Elden Gatwood

This installment covers the class GS and GSh, which were built between 1902 and 1909 and retired into the 1940's and 1950's. They were short (40-ft) cars. The article describes how the author modeled these cars using HO-scale resin kits from several manufacturers.

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Gondola Fleet Part 4

The Keystone Modeler 06 January 2004 pg. 0 Scale: HO Author: Elden Gatwood

This installment covers the G22 class (including various sub-classes) of these 46-foot gondolas.

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Gondola Fleet Part 5

The Keystone Modeler 07 February 2004 pg. 29 Scale: HO Author: Elden Gatwood

This installment covers the G24 class, which includes prototype photos and drawings and model photos of the PSC HO-scale model.

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Gondola Fleet Part 18

The Keystone Modeler 53 December 2007 pg. 11 Scale: HO Author: Jack Consoli

Prototype and research information, as well as information about how to build a model in HO-scale of the PRR's G28.

Norfolk & Western Coal Battleship Gondolas

Model Railroader 1988-01 pg. 88 Scale: HO Author: Gordon Odegard

These cars were built by the N&W in 1920 and had a 100-ton capacity. The article includes scale drawings, and two model photos.

Norfolk Southern "Top Gon" Coal Cars

N Scale Railroading 2005-03/04 pg. 50 Scale: N Author: Richard C. Thomason

The NS began converting their H-11 class coal hoppers to coal carrying gondolas in December of 1991. This article shows how the author did the same thing using Atlas' 100 ton hoppers.

Ohio River & Western 3-foot Gauge Gondola #279

Narrow Gauge And Short Line Gazette 2007-01/02 pg. 59 Scale: (none) Author: Edward H. Cass

Scales drawings of this car.

Pennsylvania Railroad Gondolas - A Modeling Summary

The Keystone Modeler 02 September 2003 pg. 9 Scale: (none) Author: Elden Gatwood

A tabular listing of all the PRR classes and subclasses of gondola's and which kits or R-T-R cars are available to the modeler. Covers only HO and O-scales.

Scrap Iron Load for a Gondola

Railroad Model Craftsman 1972-06 pg. 41 Scale: HO Author: Kenneth R. Ely

Cube 1/2" diameter aluminum foil for a convincing load.

Scratchbuild a Chesapeake & Ohio High Side Gondola

O Scale Trains Magazine 23 November 2005 pg. 4 Scale: O Author: Ron Gribler

This article describes how the author built a 1953 50-ton gondola from brass, styrene, and paper (for the rivets). Includes cutting diagrams, step-by-step photos, and a parts list. There is also a sidebar on how to create the rivet lines.

Scratchbuilt D&RGW High-side Gondola

Model Railroader 1978-08 pg. 66 Scale: On3 Author: Fred Hamilton

The author describes how he built this gondola, accompanied by several construction photos.

Seaboard, Southern, and N&W Low Side Gondolas

N Scale Railroading 2003-09/10 pg. 46 Scale: N Author: Keith M. Kohlmann

Low side gondolas were used to limit the amount material that could be carried by the car, or for where manual unloading of the content was required. The author describes how he took a Model Power gondola and converted it into these two cars.