When Intermountain introduced their models of the Santa Fe's Caswell
drop-bottom gondolas, a notion was widely circulated that those cars
seldom went off-line and therefore weren't appropriate on layouts
representing other RRs, especially those which didn't directly
connect with the Santa Fe. Never mind photographic and other
documentary evidence to the contrary (e.g. a photo of a Caswell gon
in Washington, D.C. in 1948, a record of one hauling potash on the
Rutland in the 1950s, etc.) So I just thought I would call your
attention to a photo on p. 52 of the latest Classic Trains showing a
Detroit, Toledo & Ironton 2-8-4 at Columbus Grove, OH in 1949. The
train is shown on a curve and near the head end, unmistakably, are
two Santa Fe Caswell gondolas. I haven't a clue what they were doing
on the DT&I or whether they were empty or loaded, but the photo
provides additional evidence that ATSF Caswell gons often went off-line.

Richard Hendrickson