There was a write-up on the "offal" cars in the Keystone Modeler on-line magazine. The load was basically a thick liquid, described as looking like vanilla milkshake. I don't know how the cars were loaded or unloaded, but one of the problems mentioned in the article was that sudden braking by the train would cause the load to slop out over the ends (even more fun for the brakeman to deal with). Cars for this service would be older, as I doubt they were used for anything else afterward. The author modeled such a car by inserting a flat sheet of off-white painted styrene in a 40' gon with a bit of random "texture", and then simulating the "slop" with off-white paint on one end of the car.
Other loads depend on the time period. Most 50' gons are classed as "mill trade', so sheet and rolled steel, structural members, fabricated beams, girders or trusses or pipe are all good loads. Large crates, tanks (the type for storing liquids) and similar structures, coiled wire, cable reels, logs, poles, parts of damaged RR cars or locomitives, machinery are all reasonable steam-transition era loads. During WWII somethings like military vehicles were also loaded in gons if flatcars were not available. Today there are other loads, including trash or garbage (although that is usually higher side gons or boxcars with the roofs removed) are not unusual. I understand contaminated dirt from fuel spills or other EPA sites is a common gondola load today. Two excellent articles on the topic as applies to the steam transition era are: Freight car loads Railroad Model Craftsman, June 1995 page 50 and Essential freight cars: 26: freight loads for gondolas Railroad Model Craftsman, December 2005 page 100 Pieter Roos --- In [email protected], Jamie Bothwell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > On Aug 21, 2006, at 9:42 PM, raisinone wrote: > > > > > As to the second question, with the exception of liquids or > > granulated material, I'm not sure what load isn't appropriate for a > > gon!! <G> > > > > Jim K > > > Jim, > I've heard tell of the PRR hauling the renderings from > slaughterhouses around in gondolas. It was basically white semi > liquid fat from all the animals killed. Supposedly it didn't smell > too good. Can you imagine? So sometimes even liquids were > appropriate for gons. > Jamie Bothwell > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
