DT&I 41'6" IL drop end gondola in 1947


Tim O'Connor
 

being loaded with some kind of frames -- three across (?)
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/c4eefc778407941d_large

Found it by searching the Google source:life
image library for "manufacturing".

And here's some gondolas of scrap on parallel trestle tracks
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/0e5a8295b172288a_large

Ever see a turpentine factory?
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/da9ad567f21e414c_large

And partially completed automobiles being loaded -- anyone
recognize the make of car (model year 1947)?
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/dc13f7d0bde4d9a8_large

Ford's River Rouge complex in 1936
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/92559171ee60d809_large

Tim O'Connor


Paul <buygone@...>
 

Tim:



There are several GM makes in the picture. It's a Fisher Body Plant.



Paul C. Koehler



_____

From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of Tim
O'Connor
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 7:00 PM
To: STMFC@...
Subject: [STMFC] DT&I 41'6" IL drop end gondola in 1947





being loaded with some kind of frames -- three across (?)
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/c4eefc778407941d_large>
com/hostedimg/c4eefc778407941d_large

Found it by searching the Google source:life
image library for "manufacturing".

And here's some gondolas of scrap on parallel trestle tracks
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/0e5a8295b172288a_large>
com/hostedimg/0e5a8295b172288a_large

Ever see a turpentine factory?
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/da9ad567f21e414c_large>
com/hostedimg/da9ad567f21e414c_large

And partially completed automobiles being loaded -- anyone
recognize the make of car (model year 1947)?
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/dc13f7d0bde4d9a8_large>
com/hostedimg/dc13f7d0bde4d9a8_large

Ford's River Rouge complex in 1936
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/92559171ee60d809_large>
com/hostedimg/92559171ee60d809_large

Tim O'Connor


Paul Lyons
 

They look like Pontiacs to me

Paul Lyons

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul <buygone@...>
To: STMFC@...
Sent: Tue, Jul 28, 2009 8:06 pm
Subject: RE: [STMFC] DT&I 41'6" IL drop end gondola in 1947






Tim:

There are several GM makes in the picture. It's a Fisher Body Plant.

Paul C. Koehler

_____

From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of Tim
O'Connor
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 7:00 PM
To: STMFC@...
Subject: [STMFC] DT&I 41'6" IL drop end gondola in 1947

being loaded with some kind of frames -- three across (?)
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/c4eefc778407941d_large>
com/hostedimg/c4eefc778407941d_large

Found it by searching the Google source:life
image library for "manufacturing".

And here's some gondolas of scrap on parallel trestle tracks
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/0e5a8295b172288a_large>
com/hostedimg/0e5a8295b172288a_large

Ever see a turpentine factory?
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/da9ad567f21e414c_large>
com/hostedimg/da9ad567f21e414c_large

And partially completed automobiles being loaded -- anyone
recognize the make of car (model year 1947)?
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/dc13f7d0bde4d9a8_large>
com/hostedimg/dc13f7d0bde4d9a8_large

Ford's River Rouge complex in 1936
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/92559171ee60d809_large>
com/hostedimg/92559171ee60d809_large

Tim O'Connor


Richard Hendrickson
 

Those DT&I gons were interesting cars, as they were unusually short
to have drop ends and fishbelly side sills. There were three hundred
of them built in 1941 by Greenville Steel Car Co. When WW II ended
and the auto industry established assembly plants in widely diverse
locations, a growing number of these cars were converted into auto
frame gondolas. By 1953 more than 100 of them were in auto frame
service (where their drop ends were of no use, of course). Many
years ago, I found I could kitbash a pretty good replica of one by
cutting an Athearn mill gon model into several sections, gluing the
sections back together, and fitting drop ends and an auto frame rack.

Richard Hendrickson


Garth G. Groff <ggg9y@...>
 

Richard and friends,

The GM&O also had similar short fishbelly gons.

Kind regards,


Garth G. Groff

Richard Hendrickson wrote:

Those DT&I gons were interesting cars, as they were unusually short to have drop ends and fishbelly side sills. There were three hundred of them built in 1941 by Greenville Steel Car Co. When WW II ended and the auto industry established assembly plants in widely diverse locations, a growing number of these cars were converted into auto frame gondolas. By 1953 more than 100 of them were in auto frame service (where their drop ends were of no use, of course). Many years ago, I found I could kitbash a pretty good replica of one by cutting an Athearn mill gon model into several sections, gluing the sections back together, and fitting drop ends and an auto frame rack.

Richard Hendrickson


Tim O'Connor
 

Garth

In fact, the GM&O gons appear to be identical, from the shape
of the sides to the drop ends. The GM&O cars were still in service
into the 1970's.

Tim O'Connor

Richard and friends,
The GM&O also had similar short fishbelly gons.
Kind regards,
Garth G. Groff

Richard Hendrickson wrote:
Those DT&I gons were interesting cars, as they were unusually short
to have drop ends and fishbelly side sills. There were three hundred
of them built in 1941 by Greenville Steel Car Co. When WW II ended
and the auto industry established assembly plants in widely diverse
locations, a growing number of these cars were converted into auto
frame gondolas. By 1953 more than 100 of them were in auto frame
service (where their drop ends were of no use, of course). Many
years ago, I found I could kitbash a pretty good replica of one by
cutting an Athearn mill gon model into several sections, gluing the
sections back together, and fitting drop ends and an auto frame rack.

Richard Hendrickson


Gene Green <bierglaeser@...>
 

--- In STMFC@..., cobrapsl@... wrote:

They look like Pontiacs to me

Paul Lyons

And partially completed automobiles being loaded -- anyone
recognize the make of car (model year 1947)?
http://www.gstatic.
<http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/dc13f7d0bde4d9a8_large>
com/hostedimg/dc13f7d0bde4d9a8_large
If you are referring to the photo of fenderless auto bodies, they can't be Pontiacs. Pontiacs in those years had a wide chrome stripe along the center of the hood and down the trunk lid. Back in the 50s & early 60s I owned 3 Pontiacs eventually. Wish I had 'em back now.

Gene Green


Richard Hendrickson
 

On Jul 29, 2009, at 12:22 PM, Tim O'Connor wrote:

In fact, the GM&O gons appear to be identical, from the shape
of the sides to the drop ends. The GM&O cars were still in service
into the 1970's.
No surprise that they appear identical; they were the same cars.
GM&O purchased 52 of them second-hand in late 1967, long after the
cutoff date for this list.

Richard Hendrickson


Tim O'Connor
 

LOL! Thanks Richard, I had no idea.

Tim O'Connor

------------------------------------
> In fact, the GM&O gons appear to be identical, from the shape
of the sides to the drop ends. The GM&O cars were still in service
into the 1970's.
No surprise that they appear identical; they were the same cars.
GM&O purchased 52 of them second-hand in late 1967, long after the
cutoff date for this list.

Richard Hendrickson
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/c4eefc778407941d_large


Jason Hill
 

Hi Richard, et al,
A few years ago I built a model of these cars with a Proto 2000 kit cut down to match the number of side ribs. It's finally in service!
Jason Hill

--- In STMFC@..., Richard Hendrickson <rhendrickson@...> wrote:

Those DT&I gons were interesting cars, as they were unusually short
to have drop ends and fishbelly side sills. There were three hundred
of them built in 1941 by Greenville Steel Car Co. When WW II ended
and the auto industry established assembly plants in widely diverse
locations, a growing number of these cars were converted into auto
frame gondolas. By 1953 more than 100 of them were in auto frame
service (where their drop ends were of no use, of course). Many
years ago, I found I could kitbash a pretty good replica of one by
cutting an Athearn mill gon model into several sections, gluing the
sections back together, and fitting drop ends and an auto frame rack.

Richard Hendrickson



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


Dan Stainton
 

--- Tim, these don't look much like Buicks but, Fisher Body and Buick had a similar operation in Flint MI. The bodies were built on one side of town and trucked to the final assembly plant on the other side of town.

Dan Stainton


Richard Brennan <brennan8@...>
 

Which decal set (if any) has an accurate rendition of the intertwined DT&I Ford-era logo?

--------------------
Richard Brennan - San Leandro CA
--------------------

At 11:30 AM 7/29/2009, Richard Hendrickson wrote:
Those DT&I gons were interesting cars, as they were unusually short
to have drop ends and fishbelly side sills. There were three hundred
of them built in 1941 by Greenville Steel Car Co. When WW II ended
and the auto industry established assembly plants in widely diverse
locations, a growing number of these cars were converted into auto
frame gondolas. By 1953 more than 100 of them were in auto frame
service (where their drop ends were of no use, of course). Many
years ago, I found I could kitbash a pretty good replica of one by
cutting an Athearn mill gon model into several sections, gluing the
sections back together, and fitting drop ends and an auto frame rack.


Donald B. Valentine <riverman_vt@...>
 

Jason,

What can one do to convince you to post a photo or two of your DT&I gon and offer a few instructions for your conversion? With the modeled J&M auto frames creating a realistic load for such a converted gondola would be a nice project.

To add to Richard's comments I would note that in the late 1940's and early 1950's DT&I cars of this type were seen regularly in Northern New England coming into Vermont via the Canadian Pacific, which turned them over to the Boston & Maine for delivery to the large Ford Assembly plant then located in Somerville, Mass. I believe this plant was replaced by the one at Mahwah, N.J. but am not certain at what date. Addtionally, I am not certaion whether any of these cars were ever regularly routed over the B&M's line from Wells River, VT-Woodsville, N.H. to Concord, and thence on to Boston, or whether they alwyas went via White River Junction, VT. In any case, they appear in a number of photos taken on the Newport - White River Jct. routing my late acqaintance Phil Hastings sent me over the years before his passing.

Cordially, Don Valentine

--- In STMFC@..., "HillJason" <hilljason@...> wrote:

Hi Richard, et al,
A few years ago I built a model of these cars with a Proto 2000 kit cut down to match the number of side ribs. It's finally in service!
Jason Hill

--- In STMFC@..., Richard Hendrickson <rhendrickson@> wrote:

Those DT&I gons were interesting cars, as they were unusually short
to have drop ends and fishbelly side sills. There were three hundred
of them built in 1941 by Greenville Steel Car Co. When WW II ended
and the auto industry established assembly plants in widely diverse
locations, a growing number of these cars were converted into auto
frame gondolas. By 1953 more than 100 of them were in auto frame
service (where their drop ends were of no use, of course). Many
years ago, I found I could kitbash a pretty good replica of one by
cutting an Athearn mill gon model into several sections, gluing the
sections back together, and fitting drop ends and an auto frame rack.

Richard Hendrickson



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


Chet French <cfrench@...>
 

--- In STMFC@..., "dands54" <dands54@...> wrote:

--- Tim, these don't look much like Buicks but, Fisher Body and Buick had a similar operation in Flint MI. The bodies were built on one side of town and trucked to the final assembly plant on the other side of town.
Dan Stainton



I am guessing Oldsmobiles. My uncle worked for Fisher Body in
Lansing, MI, and that is what they built there.

Chet French
Dixon, IL


Richard Hendrickson
 

On Jul 29, 2009, at 8:08 PM, Richard Brennan wrote:

Which decal set (if any) has an accurate rendition of the intertwined
DT&I Ford-era logo?
Richard, I used a Champ set but it's no longer available. I'm not
sure who else may have DT&I lettering.

Richard Hendrickson


Tim O'Connor
 

Champ HN-57 was white lettering with the old emblem.

Campbell made a set WT-10 that had DT&I and Pere Marquette
(Campbell sets are unusable except for some of the heralds)

Walthers set 17001 had the white DT&I emblem.

Sunshine's old "uni-kits" U4.3/U4.6 modeled the leased PRR X26c's
that wore the old DT&I emblem, but I don't know what decals were
in the kits -- possibly Sunshine did custom decals

Tim O'Connor


----------------------------------------------------

On Jul 29, 2009, at 8:08 PM, Richard Brennan wrote:

Which decal set (if any) has an accurate rendition of the intertwined
DT&I Ford-era logo?
Richard, I used a Champ set but it's no longer available. I'm not
sure who else may have DT&I lettering.

Richard Hendrickson