I tend to think that the entry into my January 1942 ORER was based on an
announcement, maybe in Railway Age, that the D&H was ordering X number of
new cars since the gondolas weren't actually built until April 1942.



Don't forget that the D&H had hopper bottom USRA SS boxcars they used to
haul cement, and USRA 2-bay hopper cars they converted into covered hopper
cars for hauling cement in the mid-30s. Their bottle gons were late-comers
to cement transport, and in fact, served as tankcar for hauling heating oil
to New England in the winter of 1942-43 and possibly 43-44.



I'll try to share scans of my photos tomorrow.



Larry Sexton



From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of
Matthew
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 10:06 AM
To: STMFC@...
Subject: [STMFC] Re: Gondolas with cement containers





Larry Sexton wrote:

My January 1942 ORER only shows D&H series 15900-15969 as steel gondolas
carrying cement canisters. The photo I have of D&H-15956 shows 5 canisters
in a 12 side-panel gon built April 1942, with an inside length of 46'03",
outside length of 47'08" and 70 ton capacity. While the photo of D&H 15956
shows a fishbelly centersill, the Concept model doesn't appear to match

this

series.

Larry,

Your info on these cars is quite correct, except (according to my data) the
number series for the round, air activated, cement canisters cars is
15950-15969; a total of 20 cars. They were built by ACF in 1942, were red
when first constructed, but the D&H started painting all of its open
hopppers, gons and flats black in that same year, so they were not red for
very long.

Yes, the Concept Models car looks to be incorrect at 50'. The D&H cars did
have a fishbelly centersill, were 12 panel and had single rib ends.

Covered hoppers took the place of these cars by the mid 1950's, at which
time the gons were returned to regular service.

Within this same series I have photos of D&H 15900 and 15905 which appears
to be the same design gondola as D&H-15956 carrying the round cement
canisters. However, these two cars are carrying 12 rectangular Lime/Cement
canisters belonging to the LCL Corporation.

Interesting...I have two D&H freigt car diagram books, one from 1949 and
another from 1962. Neither of those books show gons, or any freight cars for
that matter numbered 15900-15949? Although you have images? Not saying
you're wrong at all, and I would very much like to see them, as I continue
to collect data on my modeled road.

I also have a D&H "Offical Lists" from 1950, that has a complete freight car
roster. It is currently on loan, or I would cross check the 15900-15949
numbers to see if they appear in that booklet.

Thanks,

Matt Forsyth

Modeling the D&H Penn Division
Erie Jefferson Division
in "O" Scale, Summer, 1952