|
|
 Posted - July 15 2013 : 11:06:00 AM
|
* This is mainly on Mantua gondolas, with smidgens of info of other products. Well I hope you like this read. All the info here is referenced to catalogs from the HOseeker link at the bottom of our Forums page.
*** Mantua HO Gondola first made in 1937 *** ( maybe even before )
* Mantua's first HO gondola,( 1937 catalog) in appearance is of a converted flat car type. Pictured is a Lehigh Valley gondola # 5146. Lehigh Valley is spelled out, centered across the cars side. A LV is above the number making the recording number of the car in the left side corner. The 4 walls of the gondola are added to the top surface of a flat car. The leading and trailing edge of the flat car extends out creating a step on both ends. described by Mantua as a car " made from pressed steel and brass, welded and soldered." A flat car and the bobber caboose make the 3 cars offered in the 1937 catalog. the Flat car is T&P. The bobber caboose is Reading # 90274.
* The 1940 catalog show a reefer car but no others. The 1941 catalog show the reefer again and the tank car. Two good photos of GULF GRCX 1540 is shown.
* In the 1947 handbook a new gondola is show. A different car, the second one. A all steel outside braced car. Pictured is a car with the ERIE road name. This is the all metal car with the paper sides. Listed are the road names. B&O, Erie, Texas & Pacific, Central of Georgia, Rock Island, and Pennsylvania. Good info is found here of the tank cars. A photo of the GULF car, and the list of 12 cars they sell. Gulf, Texaco, U.T.L.X., Deep Rock, Republic Oil, Valvoline Oil, Sinclair, Mathieu, General American. Shell, Penn-Drake, Quaker State. A small drawing of the lettering of the Deep Rock car is shown. Of note in 1947 the box car is added.
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on July 17 2013 6:41:11 PM
|
Country:  USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 15 2013 : 11:15:42 AM
|
** The first Gondola by Mantua made in 1937 and possibly before. A good description is on the post previous to this.
*** ALL INFO HERE IS GOTTEN FROM HOseeker ! Here at the Tyco forum it is listed at the bottom of our forum page.
** Here is the photo of a first type Mantua gondola car from 1937.
The photo is from HOSEEKER.
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on July 29 2013 08:00:12 AM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 15 2013 : 11:22:34 AM
|
** Here is the second Mantua Gondola type. The first noted listing of this car in aviable material is in a 1947 handbook.
This is a all metal version with paper sides. These side are not just printed but imbosed in a press to transfer raised detail to the car side.
My Pennsylvania Railroad Gondola photos.
Here are 2 other gondolas of this type.
** Central of Georga
** next is the ERIE
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on September 30 2013 07:52:56 AM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 15 2013 : 12:30:14 PM
|
*** Here are 2 mantua gondolas of the third type.
** B&O and T&P.
Below on second photo is the bottom of this third type car. This is a plastic body with a cast metal bottom. I don't know when this car was released, or when any of the other changes to the gondola were made. I just note the changes.
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on September 30 2013 08:00:53 AM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 15 2013 : 12:36:39 PM
|
** This is the third type of car with the second type of die cast bottom. This car when released with talgo trucks and X2F couplers. Does this make it a fourth type of car. I don't think so.
First the Car PRR gondola.
Next the bottom showing a different sort of under bracing again this is a die cast botton that excepts screw on trucks.
Another PRR gondola different number.
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on September 29 2013 6:32:42 PM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 15 2013 : 12:46:57 PM
|
| Top, good reading and nice to see the Texas & Pacific gondola, I have been looking for one for a while.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 664 ~
Member Since: May 05 2012 ~
Last Visit: June 11 2024
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 15 2013 : 1:12:31 PM
|
photo 1
Here is a die cast second bottom milled to accept snap on plastic trucks.
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on July 15 2013 5:19:08 PM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 15 2013 : 1:13:01 PM
|
** Other Mantua gondolas
* CB&Q covered.
* C&O
* New York Central
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on July 15 2013 5:24:11 PM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 15 2013 : 1:13:46 PM
|
** Here are 2 different colored Rock island gondola Cars.
* Mineral Red
* Black
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on July 15 2013 5:26:26 PM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 15 2013 : 1:14:19 PM
|
** Another few Gondola cars.
* Monon
* Union Pacific.
* B&O black
* B&O gray
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on July 15 2013 5:40:06 PM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - July 15 2013 : 4:45:50 PM
|
Here is both Mantuas & Tyco versions of the UP MOW gondola
I even have Yard Office boxcar & 2 flat cars
One did have the crane but its long gone 
Edited by - microbusss on July 15 2013 8:12:30 PM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 15010 ~
Member Since: February 23 2009 ~
Last Visit: March 20 2026
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 17 2013 : 6:46:21 PM
|
Hey Buss; Nice photo of the UP gondolas. good add. frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 17 2013 : 7:00:17 PM
|
Thanks But I think the Mantua has more detail
Here are the bottoms to show the difference  \
Tyco is plastic
Matua is metal or pot metal idk
btw? how do you replace the couplers on Mantuas?
Edited by - microbusss on July 17 2013 7:01:24 PM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 15010 ~
Member Since: February 23 2009 ~
Last Visit: March 20 2026
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 18 2013 : 08:08:38 AM
|
** Buss shows the last step in the evolution of the Mantua gondola. The Tyco all plastic bottom with a hidden sheet metal weight. Everything snapped together.
* Nice going Ben. Good photo.
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - July 29 2013 : 12:52:49 PM
|
In truth it is last step for this series on gondolas. Mantua acquired the Lindberg line and is now selling gondolas made from their dies. I only have 1 road name in the new gondola. But I have 2 of them.
* New York Central RR, 580190.
frank
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
Edited by - toptrain on September 29 2013 6:37:28 PM
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7538 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 06 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
Home
Forums
Events Calendar
Forum Admins & Mods
Register
