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Could someone let me know if the American Steel 65' Mill Gondola, SKU: 2126310 from Lionel’s 2021, Big Book catalog represents a prototypical paint scheme or is it a fantasy scheme?

I don’t think this gondola has been delivered yet.

I recently got back into model trains after being away for most of the last 4 years. I missed some preorder deadlines and found this interesting paint scheme on the 65’ gondola while browsing through Lionel’s past catalogs.

But searches on Google aren’t bringing up any steel mill that had this logo. All I found was a scrap dealer in Pennsylvania named “American Steel” and even their logo isn’t the same as the one in Lionel’s artwork.

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

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My first reaction is that there is no such company, but I looked at the search and it does exist.   So there is a company.    None of the photos show railcars however.

I worked in an around steel mills for the first half of my career and have friends who  also worked in the plants.     There may be some exceptions, but in my experience, the steel companies did not own or operate cars in common carrier service.     They owned and operated a lot of stuff inside the plants.    The gons and general purpose flats and hoppers if any were geneerally used and well worn.    If they had any markings at all, it was just a number.   I had a friend who worked in the front end area of a major plant, that is blast fce, sinter plant, etc.   He told me when they got "new" cars in the first thing they did was cut off all the brake rigging because it just got in the way.   This plant in a flat area.   Not sure if all plants did this, but I suspect many did.     The special purpose cars such as bottle cars, slag cars, and ingot buggies, never left the property, and because of their use with very hot (over 2000f) materials and environment, did not have lettering on when I saw the if ever.    The ones I saw had a steel number cutout and welded on the side.

Two steel mill ownend rrs that I think had gons were the Union RR around Pittsburgh, and the Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern around Chicago.    Both of these were common carriers and had their own rolling stock.   However, even though owned by US Steel, the RRs were separate entities and the equipment was lettered for the URR, or EJ&E, not USX or something similar.    

Odds are pretty much against this being a prototype scheme.

As a follow-on to the above, Jones & Laughlin Steel apparently did own some tank cars lettered JLSX (private owner) that apparently traveled someplace on common carrier.     One of these is a very distinctive, very large tank car built in the 1920 that has 6 domes.

I have tried to find out what materials these carried and from where to where they might have gone.   I have not been successful.    Best guess based on experience. is some sort of by-product from coke making that might have been used as or for making tar for pavement.     There are lots of volatiles that come out of the coal during the coking process and some have very practical uses.

Thank you for your replies. It seems like this is a Fantasy Scheme and I will not get it.

Last night, I converted 3 of the Lionel TTX gondolas to 2-rail. I was fortunate to locate them after missing the preorder deadline and delivery. I have seen similar, TTX “rail gon” branded steel gondolas around where I live, parked outside a plant that makes steel wire for chicken coop and other fencing.

So I started looking at past Lionel catalogs and came across this yet to be delivered, American Steel gondola. Since I love learning about real trains, most of my model train purchases are of real trains that I have seen. I try to avoid fantasy schemes.

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

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