Can anyone provide more information about this flatcar? http://lists.railfan.net/erielackphoto.cgi?erielack-12-10-18/X5846.jpg It seems to have quite a load capacity although the trucks do not

John, I haven't been following this - but are you saying you think the AHM gondola is good for this car? -- *Tim O'Connor* *Sterling, Massachusetts*

A gondola is defined by how it functions, not how it is built. It's a gondola because it's an open car with a flat floor into which you can pour something and it won't spill out, but it has no slope

Take a look at C&EI 95300-95399. Go to "Photos" section of this group, and search "95300" and you will find a pic and data sheet from C&EI Modeling News. John Hile Blacksburg, VA

This car was built as a drop-end gondola, though the design philosophy was "flat car with sides". Anyone else notice the safety chains on either side of the coupler? David Thompson

Flat car. -Andy Carlson Ojai CA

Gondola. Reading class GH D 29000-29999. 50 ton car. Brian J. Carlson

Not a flat car. Built as a gondola. Drop ends enable mill loading. Eric Hansmann Murfreesboro, TN

Gondola. And since the ends drop inward, this is a mill gondola. F&C produces an HO kit for this car. Here’s how mine turned out.

It's a flat car that has been converted to a low side, drop-end gondola. Note the latch bars on the car end, to keep it in place when the car is empty. Ed Bommer

Reading Flatcar Or Gondola? Which type of car is this? http://lists.railfan.net/erielackphoto.cgi?erielack-12-05-18/X5810.jpg Bob Chaparro Hemet, CA

Red Ball. I've got unbuilt models of both the R7 and the X23. Richard Townsend Lincoln City, OR

James the rivits on the Santa Fe car were done with an early rivit punch. When I resurrected the NKP car I used brass rivits from Scale Hardware. They are a bit oversized but so much better than

Seem to recall a metal kit version of this car from back in the 50s or 60s. Wasn't Varney and am thinking it could have been Red Ball or Ulrich, but then again it's probably another manufacturer. Dave

Wowser! Great looking cars! Have to admit that I love those old wood kits! They have so much charm, it is extremely satisfying to see a model arising out of a pile of sticks, and despite probably

Bill, I've built the ATSF and NKP cars, but yours look much better than mine. What did you use for rivets on them? Jim Kubanick Morgantown WV

Santa Fe designed a whole fleet of multiple use stock cars built on Caswell dump mechanisms, with hatches in the roof. They were used primarily for hauling coke westbound. We offered kits as our

On the subject of "skins". The MP served a plant in the St Louis area called the Fouke Fur Co. According to the 1951 Sanbourn map, this plant was a fur dressing and a seal skin plant. The map shows

Well done builds. Thanks for sharing. Lester Breuer

Those are some great looking models Bill. Thanks for sharing George Toman