New SP Gondola Kit Released

Gene D posted:

The retail price is $99.95 plus $12.00 shipping.  Selected dealers are or will be stocking the kits.  One dealer that I know of is Coronado Scale Models in Phoenix, AZ.
Decals are available from Protocraft.  

Gene Deimling

Does this kit include trucks?

hibar posted:

Gene D posted:

The retail price is $99.95 plus $12.00 shipping.  Selected dealers are or will be stocking the kits.  One dealer that I know of is Coronado Scale Models in Phoenix, AZ.
Decals are available from Protocraft.  

Gene Deimling

Does this kit include trucks?

Probably not, at that price.

Hot Water posted:

hibar posted:

Gene D posted:

The retail price is $99.95 plus $12.00 shipping.  Selected dealers are or will be stocking the kits.  One dealer that I know of is Coronado Scale Models in Phoenix, AZ.
Decals are available from Protocraft.  

Gene Deimling

Does this kit include trucks?

Probably not, at that price.

It doesn't.

Trucks appear to be too small or the distance from the bolster to the car end is incorrect.  The location of the wheel to the stirrup step does not look identical to photos of the prototype car.

Gene, I hope that Jimmy Booth is in Chicago this year - hope to pick up one of these cars at the meet next week.   They're truly state of the art in accurate prototype kits.

Rule292 posted:

Gene, I hope that Jimmy Booth is in Chicago this year - hope to pick up one of these cars at the meet next week.   They're truly state of the art in accurate prototype kits.

You might shoot Jimmy an e-mail.

I for one am curious about what his next kit might be -- we need more kits of this quality and detail.

mwb posted:

Rule292 posted:

Gene, I hope that Jimmy Booth is in Chicago this year - hope to pick up one of these cars at the meet next week.   They're truly state of the art in accurate prototype kits.

You might shoot Jimmy an e-mail.

I for one am curious about what his next kit might be -- we need more kits of this quality and detail.

Martin I just might do that if he's not at the show. 

I suspect any future cars will be west coast cars even though a series of X29 cars in all of the side panel configs would be the nutz.   I'd like to see some single sheathed cars like 36' Fowler  or 40' Pratt and Howe truss outside braced cars.

I'd really like to see a series of UTLX A-3 tank cars in various sizes from 4000 to 10000 gallonage. These things ran everywhere during the steam and early diesel era.

ChipR,

The July 2000 issue of MR has some info on the prototype car.  Look for the review of the How Ordinary version of the Red Caboose GS drop-bottom gondola.

The March 2000 issue of RailModel Journal has good info/photos and there's no need to pry open your wallet because the issue is available online...TrainLife Magazines.  There's even a nice interior shot of a PSC drop-bottom gondola...reinforcing ribs...sloping sheets...sweet.

...and Pentrex offers the video: Imperial Valley Sugar Beet Trains

Hmmm...now where's the email address for Glacier Park Models....

Volume 30 of the Railway Prototype Cyclopedia has good coverage of these cars.

Jimmy is planning to be at Chicago. 

Gene 

Old Goat,

Thanks for the info, we downsized two years ago.  Hmmm, going to have to search now for photos on the Colorado/Nebraska/Wyoming sugar beet production.

ChipR

ChipR,

You're welcome.

Also check the Model Train Magazine Index.  RMC published articles in 2008 & 2010 that might be of interest.

Gene,

I remember seeing these cars during time spent in California in the early '80s.  I'm kicking around the idea of building one, in either HO or O.  The HO version by Detail Associates offers the option of open or closed drop bottom doors as well as two piece sides allowing the modeler to substitute stripwood for the plastic sides behind the steel truss frame.  The kit also has both Dreadnaught and steel plate ends.  The brake system appears very detailed.  The GP website does not offer many details regarding their version.  Does the GP kit offer these features?  The brake system on your car looks more detailed than the stock GP gondola.  Can you post a photo of the underframe from your version?

Thanks!

Compared with Southern Pacific's sugar beet operations in California, wood chip transportation in GS drop bottom gons with side extensions in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana involved far more cars on hundreds of more miles of track. California sugar beet trains tended to be unit trains of nothing but beet loads or empties going to or from a single processing plant. By contrast, Pacific Northwest local freights would routinely pick up one to three loaded chip cars a day at a dozen mills along a main or branch line, while dropping off an equal number of empty cars for the following day's use.

Southern Pacific, Milwaukee Road and Spokane, Portland & Seattle all had similar "boxcar red" 40-foot GS gons, while Northern Pacific's were painted black. Great Northern chip cars were brown, but tended to have sheet metal sides inside the steel truss frame. Union Pacific went to custom-built 50-foot chip cars earlier than the other railroads that adapted what was already paid-for, rather than spending on new low-revenue equipment. This was the philosophy behind the fact the virtually no NP, GN nor SP&S 40-foot chip car was repainted Burlington Northern green following the 1970 merger. UP's drop-bottom GS gondolas were known more for hauling coal in Utah than wood chips in the Northwest.

If you want a few drop bottom gondolas with side extensions, modeling a Pacific Northwest way freight with two or three empties and two or three loaded cars would be much more economical than creating a Southern Pacific sugar beet train where even 20 cars would seem puny. And don't forget to model the out-of-service wigwam burner near the sawmill chip loader. The inventions of particle board and compressed fireplace logs helped create the wood chip products that created the need for wood chip cars.

Gil in Oregon

I will post a couple shots of the underframe. 

Gene 

Here are a few photos of the GSM gondola underframe. 

Gene 

Here are a few photos of the GSM gondola underframe. 

Gene 

Gene D posted:

Here are a few photos of the GSM gondola underframe. 

Gene 

State of the art. 

At the March Meet I asked Jimmy for hints on upcoming projects.  A caboose was mentioned but I'd love to see more steam/transition era freight car kits like the gon. 

Any suggestions on what's sorely lacking and would make a "popular" sell?  I suggested to Jimmy an FGE truss rod reefer, though it's probably not common enough to invest tooling in for  plastic kit.

Gene,

Thanks for posting the photos.  Nice weathering on the drop chain rod. 

Jimmy emailed the kit instructions and they show that the sides are two pieces.  That will allow weathered stripwood sides behind the steel truss frames.  The kit floor is one piece so the drop bottom doors are fixed.  Building steel plate ends from Evergreen styrene and scratchbuilt extensions for sugar beet service should not present a problem.

Thanks again for the photos and info.

Mainline Modeler Magazine - February 1984:  some info, lots of photos (b&w), scale drawing of extended height gon, eight pages.

SP Trainline - Fall 2001 - Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society - extensive industry and railroad car info, lots of photos (color and b&w), drawing of Blackburn beet rack on 40 & 50 ton flatcar, twenty-five pages.

A question for Gene! PSC did a brass version of this car a few years back. Seems to me that you did an article on weathering one somewhere. Just wondering if my memory is correct, and if so where I might find it? Or maybe I have been sniffing some of that artificial steam they are babbling about in another post! Thanks!

Simon

Any suggestions on what's sorely lacking and would make a "popular" sell? 

I'll second the UTLX X3 suggestion.

bob3 posted:

Any suggestions on what's sorely lacking and would make a "popular" sell? 

 

I'll second the UTLX X3 suggestion.

Southern Car & Foundry is developing kits for tank cars..........

mwb posted:

bob3 posted:

Any suggestions on what's sorely lacking and would make a "popular" sell? 

 

I'll second the UTLX X3 suggestion.

Southern Car & Foundry is developing kits for tank cars..........

Yep Penn Tank Car kit was announced at the P:48 meeting in Chicago. 

Lots of different tankers but little standardization outside of UTLX or ACF cars.   The X3 are really the most popular car but the most boring and the least likely to be seen in anything other than UTLX black with yellow reporting marks. 

When looking at SP drop bottom gondola plans and photos, keep in mind that there two different cars that are very similar in appearance.  The kit is for a G-50-23 not the G-50-20 class.  The big difference is in the style of ends and side ladders.  I am posting both cars so you can see the difference.   By the way, the Mainline plan is of a G-50-20. 

TANK CARS:

I think Jon Cagle is doing Standard Tank Car company designs.  The firm was purchased by General American in the 1920s.   STC cars lasted for many years with a number of them ending up in museums.   I will attached a shot of this car type.   The UTLX X-3 design would be a good one to model. 

Gene

The weathering article of an older SP gondola was in O Scale Trains. 

Gene

Thank You Gene! It was one of the best weathering jobs I have seen!

Simon

Thank you Simon.

Gene