Gondolas for All Kinds of Service

* Ready to Run * New Roadnames & Roadnumbers * Magnetic Knuckle Couplers * Non-Magnetic Blackened-Metal Wheelsets * Fits Steam Era Layouts
 
In the early 20th century, many railroads still preferred composite construction for freight car that were exposed to rough service, as wood parts were cheap to make and easy to replace. Many roads handling coal were especially partial to composite gondolas, as the wooden sides and floors were better able to withstand exposure to wet coal, which produced sulfuric acid. Coal was critical for war production during World War I, and to keep it moving, the United States Railway Administration designed a composite gondola with drop doors in the floor for fast and easy unloading. The design proved to be very popular, and over 20,000 of these cars were eventually assigned to over 25 railroads, where they continued to serve for many years to come.
 
Perfect for steam- and early diesel-era layouts, these PROTO 1000 Series models feature molded-on detail to stand up to operating sessions, along with knuckle couplers and RP-25 metal wheels. A third carnumber for each roadname is available separately as a single car (920-37050 Series).

USRA 50-Ton Drop-Bottom Composite Gondolas
MILW #84959
CB&Q #188850
SLSF #85825
ACL #90024
ATSF #175836
IC #126341
CNW #24793
GN #74206
NYC #349992
UP #64142
Rock Island #82007
C&O #29662
Undecorated

Limited-Run 2-Packs
MILW #85312, #86147
CB&Q #188598, #188731
SLSF #85851, #85899
ACL #90003, #90049
ATSF #175583, #175607
IC #126001, #126211
CNW #24545, #24628
GN #74342, #74487
NYC #349759, #349816
UP #64459, #64986
Rock Island #82064, #82195
C&O #29698, #29814