# 1:32 standard gauge gons



## livesteam5629 (Jan 2, 2008)

I wish that someone would produce standard gauge gondolas in plastic for a reasonable price. Seems that no manufacturer has done so. CMP made them in brass and if you can find one the price is usually $200 plus. 
Noel


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

MTH has some. Piko(MDC) cars are 1/32. Accucraft may have some in their 1/32 line.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

MTH has no gondolas in their Gauge-1 catalog:
http://mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/catalog_files/2017_rk1_v_1/index.html

Neither does Accucraft:
http://www.accucraft.com/modelc/1menu_32_rs.htm

AML has 1/29 scale rolling stock. (also no gondolas)

Piko has some "wood" gondolas:
http://www.piko-america.com/American-Freight-Cars.html

although they are likely to be in the 1/22.5 - 1/24 scale range, probably not 1/32.
and are narrow-gauge-ish prototypes, not standard gauge.

I think Noel is right! I cant find any 1/32 scale standard gauge "steel" gondolas anywhere.
they might not exist in plastic.

The only Large-scale, plastic, "steel, standard gauge prototype" gondola that exists might be the Aristocraft 1/29 scale gondola.

Scot


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

I would like to add my vote to Noel Crawfords plea, modeling the Pennsy in 1/32 scale without gondolas is misery. The solution I found was to use parts left over from a ex MDC- Piko reefer kitbash to make a couple of them from scratch in styrene.

The reefers had peices spliced in them to lengthen them and had a big horizontal cut to shorten their height, the doors were slit two times horizontally to create shorter doors, I took advantage of the fact that I had found some decals for Fruit Growers Express to which PRR was member.
The gondolas are mainly scratch built in styrene the MDC parts used were the ends (heavilly modified) the trucks brake gear and wheel. 
Still some ready to run cars would be of great use. Especially the 70 footers.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work. Maybe Piko will do some. They did a flatcar, which MDC did not do.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I thought MDC had 40' reefers, did you lengthen them to 50? but you say you made a horizontal cut..

This picture below is a MDC 40' reefer... so I am confused on why you need a horizontal cut, were the MDC the wrong height? It also appears you lengthened them, so they must be 50' now...










Greg - 779


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

The MDC and Piko reefers as well as their box cars are about an inch too short or 2,5cm too short. Just place one next to an Accucraft one and you will understand what I mean. As My pike can be observed from a good distance this shows up a great deal. Now the horizontal cuts I talk about relate to the fact that reefer bodies were shorter in height to box cars in order that they could operate on the long trip back to the fruit and vegetable producers with their hatch open, in order to dry out their wooden interior. thus my modifications. It is possible that modern reefers have a height similiar to box cars but they are of the mechanical reefer type witrh pug doors. My pike is 1935 -1958 era. Speaking of which, I wish MTH would produce their reefers wich are very nice with a reefer type door instead of a pug door.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

And these models are clearly not mechanical reefers. Hmm.... strange mistake, since the molds are different between box cars and reefers.

Greg - 776


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Yeah I really dont know why they made those mistakes long ago... The length may be because their injection press couldn't handle anything longer; but the height? Also it helps them use the same ends... It would be beautiful if they corrected that at Piko but I doubt that that will ever hapen. My next kitbash will be lengthening the two box cars that I still have in original condition, I have enough material to do this. The problem then will be matching the color.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The length is most likely to allow the same chassis... and I believe you cracked the code on the height, they used the same carbody ends.


The length is puzzling, but perhaps they felt they needed to shorten them for 4' diameter curves. But once that decision was made, the "crime" was propagated to the reefer.


But your insight really answers the questions, of the 4 molds needed for adding the reefer to the product line, based on having the box car already, all they needed was 1 new mold to have the reefer. Simple economics.

Greg - 775


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

On my HO scale models, 40' wooden sided reefers are around 1 to 1-1/2 feet shorter than a 40' boxcar. Also, earlier wooden sided reefers were sometimes 36' in length - reefers designed for meat service for example.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

well, if he feels the model was 1 inch short, than that's 32 inches prototype which is in the range you mention.

So maybe the model is closer than he thinks in length.

Greg - 774


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Actually there were a lot of 36' cars before the more modern steel refers and box cars were made, but they were usually of a diferent construction and aspect, most often wood sheeted and with steel underframes and fishbellies or truss rods. I doubt that there were very many 36' steel cars built. But I am no specialist on US rolling stock. Also railroads tended to renew their fleet every time a large order of newer more modern stock was on hand. 
I know for instance I kitbashed my only G scale car a Bachman narrow gauge box car into a pretty creditable PRR XL class boxcar of WW1 vintage. A very knowledgeable person at the PRRT&HS told me that by the mid thirties they had been removed from revenue service, many into MOW cars. This car had been given to me, it was actually my very first American freight car. And that was when I decided that starting late in the game I was better of by sticking to 1/32 scale rolling stock. Of course if I had started twenty years earlier like most; I would have a lot of 1/29 scale stuff, I guess.
I am very obsessed by proportions in model railroading, I guess that comes from my background as stage designer. To many mixing I/ 29 and 1/32 is Ok and others won't be bothered by these shorter MDC- Piko cars. But I guess I can't reprogram myself, can I. But part of that comes from the excellent level of writing and editorial content of the Model Railroader in Lynn Westcotts days. Certainly scale rail and RP25 near scale wheel sets do.


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## derPeter (Dec 26, 2010)

Hallo MLSers,
let us return to the gondolas..
Aristo-gondolas are 1:29, so they are a bit too wide for 1:32, i cut the bottom at both sides off 5mm, also Ends, now fit perfect to 1:32..
greetings derPeter


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

do you have a before and after side by side or other comparison? 

The finished product looks good!

Greg - 770


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

From some research I did a few years ago the Aristo gondola looks quite close to a Pennsy prototype G 27 (you can look it up on this site: http://prr.railfan.net/diagrams/PRRdiagrams.html?diag=G27-E408995.gif&sel=gon&sz=sm&fr=) , but has been shortened to 40' length, the problem is that with the slant on the fishbelly you can't lengthen them to the correct length unfortunatly. Because the angle of the slant on the fish belly is longer on the real ones. I think it corresponds to one of the 54' long ones I would like to model. But your idea der Peter is great.
I'm off on hollidays.


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## derPeter (Dec 26, 2010)

Hallo again,
sorry no older pics, the gon-side is screwed together with hidden small screws, so it can easy be dismanteld and cut at table saw, then glued together..
greetings derPeter


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

The MDC/Piko boxcar bodies measure out to 38 feet, the body of a 1937 AAR standard "40-foot" boxcar (which the MDC car was modeled after) was actually 41.5 feet in overall length. I stretched a couple of them a few years back, before the Accucraft/AMS cars came out, and used some of the leftover pieces to make a 50-foot car too. Here's more info about those conversions: Modifying MDC Boxcars

The MDC/Piko reefers use the same body molds as the boxcars, just with different side details. That even includes the simulated interior floor planking, even though the reefer doors don't open!

John McGuyer posted here on MLS some years ago (probably more like a decade now) about some really nice-looking 1:32 scale resin rolling stock kits that he was creating, including a drop-bottom gondola, which supposedly were going to be produced by Ozark Miniatures. I watched the Ozark website for a while hoping they would turn up eventually, but I don't think they ever did, and John doesn't seem to have been active here in a few years now. Accucraft also had some 1:32 freight cars (including a tank car and a gon) listed in the "under consideration" section of the news page on their website for a while, but they quietly disappeared in their last website redesign. No idea whether they are still being considered or not, but I'd certainly order a few, given the opportunity.


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## virgal (Sep 25, 2009)

Noel, du-bousquetaire I have heard you. I am interested in developing a couple of different gondolas this winter.

I have a couple of ideas of my own (G22b with optional containers) and a couple of suggestions from customers. I would be very interested in hearing from you as to specific models you are interested in. The initial designs will be in gauge 1.

For those that are seriously interested, please email me with your preferences so we can get these projects rolling.

Alan
THE GAL LINE [email protected]


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Hello every body, I forgot to look up this thread since last autumn... Very interesting article Richard, I think that I will attempt to make a 50 footer auto box also as I am missing one. I reused the Piko ends on my gondolas but had to do a good deal of work on them to do it. (So you can use them too). Will keep in touch with the Gal line project also.


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