# Gon bashing



## ohioriverrailway (Jan 2, 2008)

One of the things I really like about Bachmann cars is the ease of modifying them into something else. X6 is my all-purpose maintenance car. It started as a standard gon, but one pass thru the saw removed the top 2 planks, the second pass removed two of the center sections. I replaced the standarad wheels with the smaller mine car wheels and mounted the couplers on top of the drawbar. I normally use Kydees, but since this car is shoved a lot, and I've discovered that the KDs tend to break loose when going over the hump we've sacrificed appearance for function.









The container is part of a pill reminder box and it holds flux, shrink wrap, cast brass trolley ears, bull rings and an assortment of pins. The spools have solder and some span wire. The lighter keeps my stogie fired up to help to repel the bugs. I have an identical plastic box that contains spikes, track screws, rail joiners, etc., for the track crew to use. The boxes just skip in and out for easy exchange.


----------



## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice MOW car Rick! 

-Brian


----------



## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

That's great.

A "real" MOW car.


----------



## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Rick,

The gon is very nice, but that electric pusher ain't shabby at all!


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Second that! Also very nice looking electric overhead wire and caterny!!


----------



## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Rick;

Beautiful job on the work gondola.

I hope this will be taken as I intend it - That is, as another way to get a one-off gondola. In the early 1990's, The choices for narrow gauge gons were LGB, Bachmann, Kalamazoo, and Lionel. Even the LGB low side gondola was too high for what I wanted. I built these two gons from Lionel flat cars using 1/2 inch spruce planks (for model airplane frames), Plastruct "L" angle stock, and brass rod stock with "friendship beads" for the grab irons.



















They are probably crude by today's standards, but I am still happy with them. I have since converted them to Kadee couplers.

Best wishes,
David Meashey


----------



## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Dave, 

Those are nice-looking gons, too. I am thinking of trying a Lionel for use when I get to doing the Fn18" stuff. Thanks for posting the pixes.


----------



## ohioriverrailway (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave, I second the motion. Those are nice!


----------

