I am working on a late 90s/ early 00s Athearn BB kit for a covered gondola. First question is- the instructions show a revision date at the bottom of 04-05. Were BBs still in production that late? Second question as to prototype: The model has “A- shaped” lugs with holes along each edge of the roof cover. What were they used for? The roof itself- how was it lifted and replaced on the car? I looked online for pictures but didn’t find any real world images of a covered gondola, circa 1966 production. Cedarwoodron
I remember picking up my CB&Q covered gon relatively late. “Blue Box” kits didn’t compltely disappear until just a few years ago.
As to prototype covred gons, I know that the UP had them. There are some photos in one of Morning Sun’s US equipment books. I think the CB&Q also had them. As to prototype fidelity, apparently Irv and the guys made the original gondola 50 feet long instead of the much more common 52’6". so the car is too short for most of the prototypes taht it is painted for. Athearn made the roof piece to match the existing gondola model, and it’s not too bad. I don’t have the car right here now, but I think the projections that you refer to represent some of the roof lifting lugs. I believe that the real roof was made in pieces that were removed one at a time. Crane cables would be attached to the lifting rings and the roof was hoisted off to get to the load. Athearn molded their lifting lugs oversized.
“This class G-22 gondola was built in August 1966 by Bethlehem Steel Company. It was serviced in July 1986 just before B&O merged C&O into its line. This 2250 cu ft. 176,000 lb capacity gon is designed to be fitted with a low cover. This common configuration accommodates the loading of long, low cargos that are difficult or impossible to load into box cars (such as steel bar stock) yet still need protection from the elements. The cover is fitted with a weather seal and is made of reflective aluminum to help guard against heat. The crane loading of gondolas is also cheaper than the forklift loading of box cars. B&O was the first railroad in America to offer scheduled freight and passenger service to the public.” I found this reference to covered gondolas on another forum site, where a similar question was asked. Apparently, there was a one-piece cover. Aluminum construction would make sense as it would be lighter and therefore easier to lift. Mine looks so nice, I just don’t want to weather it! Cedarwoodron
Here’s a photo of a WP gondola with a roof similar to the Athearn car. http://www.wplives.com/archives/freight/gondolas/6055.html . The roof is in three sections, each with two of the A-shaped lifting lugs per side.
Another view of a different car shows the mechanism for locking the roof panels to the car http://www.wplives.com/archives/freight/gondolas/6062.html .
Not exactly…The B&O did merge with the WM and shortly after that the B&O was merged into the C&O and a few months later the C&O was merge into CSX.
Oddly enough the Chessie roads was not merged during the Chessie era…
Covered gondolas for steel products are pretty common.
The roofs are usually 3 sections.
Specific designs vary, but as noted these are generally 52’6" inside length cars.
There’s nothing out there that actually matches the Athearn car exactly, since it’s already pretty generic and also bastardized with the shorter 50’ I.L.
However, the general concept is sound.
Here’s a few 1960s style examples similar in style, if not all details, to the Athearn car:
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ic99760&o=ic
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=nh62008&o=nh
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=nkp44619&o=nkp
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=nkp44808&o=nkp
This PRR car is a different style, and just has one of the cover sections sitting on the car for the shop photo:
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=prr376704&o=prr
And some more modern (i.e. welded cars built in the late 1960s-70s) versions:
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ble32025&o=ble
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cbq83503&o=cbq
I easily modeled Chris’s last example by combining Atlas’s Thrall gon:
with
http://www.atlastrainman.com/HOFreight/tmhogondolacover.htm
Ed
Based on the images, Rob, I guess Athearn wasn’t that far off with those A lugs along the roof cover sides. Now that I have one, I guess I will need one or two more just to make sure I really like them!!! Thanks guys for the research assistance. Cedarwoodron