Exactrail Gondolas

[wes_sutton]

Ya just buy two, cut them in half glue them back together with 14 panels per side then get your xacto knife out and go to town on it!! then you get this!!!

Obviously where the name xactorail came from

[GaryHinshaw]

Still around.
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=51191

Cool.  I'm in for one then.

[Mark5]

Still around.

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=51191

Interesting - it says built 1965 though I keep reading the ER version is 1978+

ER shows it with a build date of 3-65
http://www.exactrail.com/index.php/products/gunderson-2-420-gondola-sp.html

The ER cars are in the 333xxx series which matches up with info here:

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/gon/g100-07.htm

Espee fans, is the ER paint "as built"?

Mark

[C855B]

If not exact, then very close. Being a Left Coaster I saw these things around in the '70s usually with the lettering plates pretty much beat to a pulp if not completely torn off. Gons lead a rough life.

I'm going to pick-up a set of all SP numbers when they're out. Whether I'm going to tear 'em up per the prototype ("weathering" my butt - it's hammer time!) will remain to be seen.

[Hiroe]

14 panels:

If the math is right, this should be a 56' car.


13 panels, the 52' version:


They don't look too terrible.  ;D

--Drew

[ljudice]

Nice experiment there with the photos!!

But still we're talking $40 MSRP for a gon now!   

[Dave V]

It looks very good, but here's the prototype for the class:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cr/cr607333asb.jpg

Not as deep and with that slight fishbelly.  Still, Conrail had so many different classes of gons that this stretched version would not look at all out of place.

Nonetheless, I may hold out for another, more PRR/PC/CR-centric corrugated gon which may or may not be in the model pipeline...

[tom mann]

I picked up 3 of the SP cars at MBK just now for $16 each, at least one will get the placards removed.  I like the look of them.  Has anyone figured out what they were used for?  It is odd that a modern gon would be so short.

[C855B]

Nothing special - what I remember is scrap metal loading.

[Mark5]

I picked up 3 of the SP cars at MBK just now for $16 each, a

What scale? I don't see N on the site yet.

Mark

[C855B]

HO.

[James Costello]

I picked up 3 of the SP cars at MBK just now for $16 each, at least one will get the placards removed.  I like the look of them.  Has anyone figured out what they were used for?  It is odd that a modern gon would be so short.

Mainly copper ore in Arizona, but apparently also a bit of iron ore too. There has been some discussion on the Espee and MFCL lists about their uses.

[bbussey]

It looks very good, but here's the prototype for the class:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cr/cr607333asb.jpg

Not as deep and with that slight fishbelly.  Still, Conrail had so many different classes of gons that this stretched version would not look at all out of place.

Nonetheless, I may hold out for another, more PRR/PC/CR-centric corrugated gon which may or may not be in the model pipeline...

If the car is going to be kitbashed, the 65' car would be easier to approximate than the 52' car.  I believe then that the side height would be close enough not to worry about, and the bottom sill is straight.  The number of panels (either 18 or 20) probably will be off though.

[Mark5]

I picked up 3 of the SP cars at MBK just now for $16 each, at least one will get the placards removed.  I like the look of them.  Has anyone figured out what they were used for?  It is odd that a modern gon would be so short.

Mainly copper ore in Arizona, but apparently also a bit of iron ore too. There has been some discussion on the Espee and MFCL lists about their uses.

Hmmm, seems doubtful that I'd see one on the east coast ...

(Doesn't look line the N scale versions are anywhere near being available so more time to think!)

[bbussey]

If the real car never traveled to the east coast, it makes the decision an easy one for me.