# D&RGW pipe gondolas, what are you using for pipe?



## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Since the new AMS (Accucraft) pipe gondolas have been released, I'm sure some members of this forum must have some by now. And I'm sure someone has thought about adding a pipe load. 

My question is, what are you using for pipe loads? I have some ideas on what to use, but I'd like to hear about or see what others are using.


----------



## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

How about copper pipe? Thin walls like the prototype. Variety of sizes. Might be a little pricey, but you wouldn't need much


----------



## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Copper pipe would be a very good solution for the larger diameter casing or line pipe these cars hauled. Kind of like this On3 model by San Juan Car Co:











What about the smaller drill pipe?

Doing some rough calculations I think my LGB sized pipe gondolas would need 3/16" diameter pipe that is 20" long. I believe evergreen styrene makes 24" 3/16" diameter tubes, so these might work although I'll have to cut and paint them.


I've previously used 1/8 heat shrink tubing for oil drill pipe. And although the color is really nice, the price is great, and they cut super easily, they tend to be too flimsy for pipe and don't hold the round tube shape. So that's why I'm looking into new options.

If you look closely in the photo below at the flat car you'll see what the heat shrink tubing looks like...not too bad. But for the 20" length I'll need for the new pipe gondolas I'm building they'll probably end up being too flimsy.


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: D&RGW pipe gondolas, what are you using for pipe?*

I have used Aluminum from doing an addition and the basebuard heat had flex aluminum pipes. 
Also, I have used plastic cigar tubes on the HLW shorties. 

Anything small and round will do!! Plastic and aluminum do kep the weight down.


----------



## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

I used PVC pipe painted black. It comes in all sizes and is easy to cut.


----------



## chama (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: D&RGW pipe gondolas, what are you using for pipe?*

I just finished two pipe gon loads using 1/2" CPVC pipe from Lowes. Part number 23811, $2.07 for 5' (they have it in 10', but I didn't want to cut it in the store and 10' is too long for the car). It scales to 12" OD which is one of three sizes mentioned as D&RGW loads in my web reearch (along with 8" and 24"...the latter must have been culvert???). Evrything L found seemed to indicate the pipes were 40'. However, I cut mine to 42' since the Accucraft cars don't appear to couple as tightly as the prototypes so 40' looked too short (didn't lap the idler flats much. I added some blocking per the prototype to raise the loads so they'll swing clear over the idler decks. I've decided to use 15 pipes per load in a 6-5-4 truncated pyramid. Six pipes just fit side-to-side. 

With respect to the Accucraft idler flats: as mentined by Accucraft and others, these were some of the first attempts and used cut down high-side gons of the same class as the pipe gons. However, they didn't all go away as there are a number of photos showing them in later years (and a few survive) with the deck-top reinforcing rail (15' according to Sloan). Pictures of very similar 9000-series gon-to-idler conversions also show a brake wheel lowered nearly to deck level. I've added the rail and lowered the barke staffs as I want to run these as gon-flat-gon strings. While I haven't found a phot that proves the brake staffs were lowered on any of the 1000-series gon-to-idler conversions, it works for me. last detail that I plan to add are some U-bolt stake attachments which Sloan (and some photos) indicate on some of these gon-to-idler conversions (and, specifically, for one of the 2 road numbers I have. 

Last, must do detail IMHO is to add the deck overlays that Electric Model Works offers. One issue (which I'm bringing to Jonathan'a attention) is that the idler flats are longer than the standard flats for which the overlay kits are designed...you'll need 3 extra planks. So, either order one extra kit to provide the extra planks for a dozen+ conversions or perhaps jonathan will offer a somewhat larger set for the idler flats.


----------



## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Great info Scott.

What did you add for rail on the Accucraft idler flats? Real metal rail? And any idea on what you'll use for the U-bolts?

Should be interesting with what I end up with. I'm using LGB gons and Hartland flats as the idlers. The Accucraft cars inspired me to add a more realistic looking pipe train to our roster. 

What I'm currently planning to use are Plastruct T beams and some other plastic bits for the rail on the Hartland flats, but I'm not really sure about the U-bolts yet. Maybe some thin brass bent to shape, or maybe even some styrene rod bent to shape. I couldn't find any real U-bolts small enough. Probably don't exist.


----------



## chama (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By San Juan on 03/01/2009 9:54 PM
Great info Scott.

What did you add for rail on the Accucraft idler flats? Real metal rail? And any idea on what you'll use for the U-bolts?

Should be interesting with what I end up with. I'm using LGB gons and Hartland flats as the idlers. The Accucraft cars inspired me to add a more realistic looking pipe train to our roster. 

What I'm currently planning to use are Plastruct T beams and some other plastic bits for the rail on the Hartland flats, but I'm not really sure about the U-bolts yet. Maybe some thin brass bent to shape, or maybe even some styrene rod bent to shape. I couldn't find any real U-bolts small enough. Probably don't exist. 



Real metal rail. Code 215 or so should be about right (Sloan or someone noted it as 70-80# rail). U-bolts made from wire with some cross straps I found in the parts box from a previous project. Good luck with your project.


----------

