Pennsylvania
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Description
The Pennsylvania Railroad and merger successor Penn Central built a total of 3,750 G43 / G43A / G43B / G43C gondolas at the Sam Rea Shops in Hollidaysburg PA from 1966 to 1970, the largest gondola fleet built by Sam Rea or any carbuilding shop in the 1960s. In other words, these cars are highly relevant! The G43 gondolas were a modern fleet of 100-ton mill gondolas with 52’6″ interior length, with different design configurations for various customer applications. The G43 fleet was built to replace older steam-era gondolas with a rugged design suitable for mill, scrap, and aggregate services. Additionally, many were modified during the Conrail era with coil “racks” to transport uncovered steel coils. Many served NS and CSXT in the post-Conrail era in various services including coil service, as well as other revenue and MOW services. Some cars were sold to the secondary market with leasing firm reporting marks.
All of the G43 series gondolas are easily identified by their side corrugations. The similarities end there; each of the G43 sub-classes are visually distinctive from one another. The PRR G43 and early PC G43A cars have corrugations in every panel and have dreadnaught ends. The later G43A / G43B / G43C cars have no corrugations in the outward two panels, and are outfitted with DSI (Despatch Shops, Inc., Rochester NY) corrugated ends. These DSI ends applied to a PRR car are one of the first examples of car building cooperation for the newly-formed Penn Central – cooperation between the former NYC and PRR shops. While G43/G43A cars had steel floors and conventional draft gear, the G43B cars introduced wood floors and cushion draft gear. The G43C subclass, built in 1970, were the last series of cars and returned to steel floors and conventional draft gear.
This is not just a single gondola model, but instead a system of gondolas. The Tangent Scale Models G43 series offering follows the prototype variations. We have produced three side configurations, two end configurations, and four floor configurations, including two with coil “racks” installed to haul steel coils (which we are also now selling as separate parts). Our G43 is perfectly scaled from actual PRR/PC drawings. We have captured the look of the side corrugations, and these models incorporate full interior detailing including the side corrugations. Finally, our cars are equipped with 100-ton trucks, “spinning” roller bearing caps, and correct CNC-machined 36″ wheels to give these gons a “beefy” modern look. Our cars have a proper depth floor, and are outfitted with Kadee® scale couplers, so the cars operate as well as they look! Finally, models of the PRR/PC G43 series gondolas have never been available before in plastic, brass, or resin.
True scale and true to life miniature model for adult collectors.
Not suitable for children under 14 years.
