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What was it's purpose?

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  • Member since
    November 2002
  • From: US
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What was it's purpose?
Posted by jacon12 on Sunday, October 6, 2024 8:59 AM

What type 'merchandise' did this type car usually carry?

Thanks!

Jarrell

 HO Scale DCC Modeler of 1950, give or take 30 years.
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 1,190 posts
Posted by mvlandsw on Sunday, October 6, 2024 4:23 PM

Covered gondolas usually carried steel or other metals that had to be protected from the weather.

Mark Vinski

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • 6,449 posts
Posted by MidlandMike on Sunday, October 6, 2024 7:11 PM

Sometimes they covered mineral concentrates so they didn't blow away in transit.  Lately they might cover waste products so they aren't lost to the environment.

  • Member since
    November 2002
  • From: US
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Posted by jacon12 on Sunday, October 6, 2024 8:15 PM

Ok, thank you Mike and Mark

Jarrell

 HO Scale DCC Modeler of 1950, give or take 30 years.
  • Member since
    August 2011
  • From: A Comfy Cave, New Zealand
  • 6,257 posts
Posted by "JaBear" on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 2:54 PM

I've seen mention of those covered gondolas as being "food grade ", but have been unable to establish as to what food stuffs they carried.

It was also mentioned that once those cars lost their food grade status, they went into service as mentioned by Mark and Mike.

Cheers,  the Bear. 

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • 6,449 posts
Posted by MidlandMike on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 3:15 PM

Perhaps "food grade" refers to things like sugar beets that were carried in gondolas, often with extended sides.

  • Member since
    August 2011
  • From: A Comfy Cave, New Zealand
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Posted by "JaBear" on Thursday, October 17, 2024 3:41 AM

Gidday Mike, in all honesty I'm no closer to resolving what "food " was carried in covered gondolas,  but I don't think it was sugar beet 

I say this because in my fruitless research ,  l came across nightowlmodeler.blogspot.com/p/ssp-freight-carsgondolas.html which said the SP did not generally use steel bodied gondolas as they could get too hot and "cook" the beets causing them to start losing their sugar.

My apologies for not providing a live link, I haven't worked out how to on my phone, yet. Sigh

Cheers,  the Bear. 

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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