I have four 50’ Athearn gondolas, and three P1K drop end gondolas that I am trying to figure out loads for. I know that gondolas basically carry just about anything. I am looking not only for suggestions but also how one would go about make a certain type of gondola load.
I have a few ideas that I have seen in various magazines. 1. Rusty, nasty chunks of scrap metal can be simulated by cleaning out the bottom of an old gas grill. The metal that rusts on the burner and lower grate and falls to the bottom of the grill looks just like the junk loads I see in gondolas. 2. Crushed metal (IE-cars, appliances, etc.) can be simulated by taking a piece of aluminum foil and crushing it into a ball slightly bigger than the size you want. Then, take a pair of goose neck pliers and adjust them until the jaws are open to the size you want. Then, squeeze the foil ball in the pliers to square it up. You will end up with a cube of foil that can be painted and weathered to resemble crushed metal. 3. Childrens toys, or there components (gears, shafts) can be painted and weathered and placed in a gondola to simulate oversize parts for industry. You can go farther and use wood or styrene to build ladding to hold the part and place it in a gondola. I did this with two round magnets in one gondola and the effect is really nice. In theory, they are on the way to a power plant to refurbish a generator. 4. Check the Walthers catalog for ides. There are several manufacturers that make gondola loads. You can buy them, or use them for inspiration. Note-again I did get the first 3 ideas out o various mags, but can't remember the name of the authors to give them credit. Mark
Tompm, Here is the real thing! A curious inspector got these two photos of the raw casting of a 40 or 50 foot long ship's propeller shaft, loaded into a long gondola. Note the series of tie down loops along the car side edges. Interesting detail. Also the wood lagging would look good. This next photo shows the (probably) 6 x 8 wood top chock tied down with maybe 3/4" or 1" diameter all-thread tie-down rods. Note the boss provided for the big lathe to chuck up on so the entire length of this shaft and both sides of the mounting flanges car be turned all at one time to maintain accuracy and balance. Also notice that the top chock has been neatly notched to fit snuggly around the shaft as an aid to prevent weight shifting in transit. Did you notice the wooden end buffer blocks to prevent end play? By wedging the shaft tightly against both ends of the car, it greatly reduces the "hammer" effect that would damage the car end, when coupling, and during coupler slack run-in and out. There is a lot of things to consider when preparing "free" loads. Wouldn't you have enjoyed watching them load this into the gondola?
As Watash said to notice the tie downs on the gondola's top edges, I know a way to make these thats really simple, if you all would care to model them on your Gondola cars! Get a piece of old window screen (the metal kind), and take one of the "metal threads" out of it, an take some CA (But very little) an put a small amount on each of the bottoms of the bends in the "metal thread" and put it on the car top's, an then cut to fit, making sure you get an over hang on each end so that it can be trimed an look even. Voila! The perfect Gondola tie downs!
I have a simple rule about loads. I go to the local junk stores (building surplus stores seem to be the best) and anything that I find that meets these simple criteria is a load: 1: it fits in a gondola or flat car and 2: I don't know what it is. I currently have a diarama on display at Buyers Market in town featuring loads I built from their products.
A load of painted drinking straws are a great simulation of a 'pipe' load, nice and light. I glue them to a base of sheetwood the size of the car bottom, with 'stickers' [ balsa strips] between layers. Another good load is wheelsets, those old plastic ones you may be gradually replacing with metal...grind or file off the 'point', and weather them with rust & dirt colors. Use 4 lengths of rail in the car and consider gluing the whole 'rack of wheelsets' together. regards / Mike
I will just show an example of loads for flat cars. Anything can do as mentioned before. Here two old silicia rectifiers are used to simulate two big new generators for a power plant, and a big cooling water pipe also for the plant.
That is a neat idea John! The screen wire would also allow you to actually "sew" some black or rusty "cinnamon" colored thread along to make tie downs.
Watash, Yep, that was the intention of doing that with screen wire threads. They're already pre-bent for the tie downs, an have that opening to do as you said put rusty colored thread threw them an actually look to hold the down down etc. I've even used Cambell (or however thats spelt) scale chain thats the most links per inch an took that threw the bends in that screen thread an looks great! I've done to plenty of gondola cars for that "added" detail to the car. And then the load could be almost anything. I just have to make some loads now, being I got all the detail work done, its just picking the right load for the car.... Being I have a bunch of gondola cars that are naked, they need some loads so. This thread should give me some idea's an inparation to make some loads for in my nakes cars....
