Best Of Lowering MTL Gondolas

[ai5629]

Thank you for sending me the article sirenwerks.  I read it last night, and now I know what I need.  The modelers on this board are a great group of guys.  Thank you all again.

[sirenwerks]

NandW, check your email.

[bbussey]

Brian,

I got it to him. I already had it scanned.

Thanks Bryan.

bb

[Mark5]

NandW, check your email.

Thanks!  ;D

Mark

[jmlaboda - RIP]

I would like a copy as well, if you wouldn't mind.

[Chris333]

Bryan, Now you need to open up the sides of that gon a bit more:

 

[bbussey]

Yeah, it probably could use some extra attention after 17 years.  I basically did it for the article.  It's not a favorite of mine, but ironically it most likely will be the last 50' MTL gon remaining in my fleet.  All of my PRR and PC steel sided MTL gons are getting retired en masse when the BLMA 52' gons hit the market in a couple of weeks and the remaining others will be phased out eventually.

[Sokramiketes]

Bryan, Now you need to open up the sides of that gon a bit more:

 

Glad this popped up in another thread.  I have an ATSF sitting on the bench that I carved the openings in.  But Keith Kohlman recently reminded me that the old Arnold gon is the right length and has the proper openings.  It makes a pretty good model, here's Keith's LV: 

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[Missaberoad]

Chris @Chris333 or Mike @Sokramiketes

How did you mill out the openings on the Micro-Trains gondola? How did you ensure the floor line remained true?
I have a number of these in the too-do pile.

Any top tips?

[Chris333]

lol a 14 year old call back 

First I did it back when my eyes still worked! I scribed a line with a straight edge in-between each rib. Then I drilled out a few holes to get the bulk out. I carved the rest out with an Exacto blade right up to the line I scribed.

[Sokramiketes]

Same as Chris. Lots of hand carved exacto time.

[Missaberoad]

Thank you gentlemen, fingers crossed i don't slip!

[bbussey]

Glad this popped up in another thread.  I have an ATSF sitting on the bench that I carved the openings in.  But Keith Kohlman recently reminded me that the old Arnold gon is the right length and has the proper openings.  It makes a pretty good model … 

@Sokramiketes - I had forgotten about the Arnold composite gon. I have one of those buried somewhere, probably in milk crates in the garage with all my other vintage stuff. I’m remembering CNJ but I’m not certain. Trovestar doesn’t have the complete list documented (0489x series). I’ll check the Barry Wingard N scale catalog book later and reference the full list documented there.

[Mark5]

Yes, the Arnold composite gon is a decent model of the 70 ton war emergency gondola (much better than the MTL 50' attempt and it's 52"). I've got one set aside in my ponderous list of "to do" projects for an N&W version.

Here's a nice update that Tim Watson did:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=29263.msg313725#msg313725

[bbussey]

I guess I don’t have one, as I don’t remember ever seeing these road names in my possession. But this is the complete list. The suffix letter apparently corresponds to the railroad name.

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I inadvertently cut off the last column. There are two Lackawanna cars because the lettering is thin on the first variation and bold on the second variation.