Tony Thompson wrote:
"Another Athearn "raw material" model of significance is the 50-foot gondola (really about 48 feet). Though it has no prototype and is evidently a shortened 52'6" car, it can be, and has been, used to model lots of prototypes, often by splicing in one more panel from a sacrifice car. It was also the basis for a Shake 'n' Take model at Cocoa Beach a few years ago, cutting it down to a 40-foot DT&I car (originally devised by Richard Hendrickson). I summarized my own construction of that project in a blog post, which if you're interested is at this link:
https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2012/01/shake-n-take-modeling-project-dt.html 

The Athearn gondola's rivets are somewhat oversize and the ends useless, and the end panels on the side are an unusual arrangement . . . but the model has had its uses over the years."

Richard's articles in the September/October 1982 and November/December 1982 issues of Prototype Modeler are still favorites.  The second article is online at Trainlife and include C&O, DT&I, EJ&E, and SP conversions.

Ben Hom