Looking for VGN balleship gondola information

[Morpar]

I am in the process of designing decals for my Virginian style battleship gondolas, but I need some help. I want to base these decals off the actual VGN gons for all the dimensional data, but I can't find any decent photos. I checked the magazine index, and the January '88 MR or the December '89 Railmodel Journal may have some info, but they are no longer available. I would also like to know some of the history behind the real cars too (when built, how many, etc.). I will be going to my LHS in the next couple of days to see if he has either of the magazines around, but until then I am dead in the water. Anyone know of any good sites for some of this information or photos? Thanks in advance.

[jrbarney]

Morpar,
Contact Customer Service at MR to see if they have that back issue available. If not, you can request a photocopy from them. Or, contact the NMRA's Kalmbach Memorial Library and order photocopies of both articles from them:
http://www.nmra.org/library/
Their photocopy rate is reasonable, even if you're not a member. Railpub:
http://www.railpub.com
may have the RMJ back issue available at their Web site. And, have you done a Google search to see if there is a Web site for a Virginian historical society ?
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[orsonroy]

VGN YahooGroup: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/VirginianRailwayEnthusiasts/
The N&W Historical Society (VGN fans go there): http://www.nwhs.org/about_vgn.html
Surprisingly, no pics of the Battleship Gons on the Fallen Flags website: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/vgn/vgn.html
There are three photos of VGN bathtub gons on the NEB&W website, along with SOME historical data: http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/rolling-stock/gons/95-bathtub-gons.asp
And you DO know that Funaro & Carmelengo makes a resin kit for VGN bathtub gons, and that you can buy the decals seperately, right?: http://www.fandckits.com/

[dknelson]

I gather that a very old Model Railroader mag from the 1930s had plans for the G-4 model of this car. I do not have that issue but those gon plans are reprinted on page 121 of the 1944 Model Railroader Cyclopedia (which is fairly frequently seen at swap meets - I got mine for $10 a few years ago). It has a fairly clear representation of the paint scheme. The trucks however are not part of the drawing.
H. Reid's book The Virginian Railway, published by Kalmbach, has a discussion of the evolution of the battleship gon pp 63-64, with a 1960 photo of what purported to be the last one, with a slightly different (and faded) paint scheme than I have seen before, adding a herald on the upper right not seen in the Model Railroader plans or other old photos. By the way H Reid also says the reason why the Virginian painted its name so big on locomotives as well as on these huge gons is so the name could be read from ships in Norfolk Harbor. Their way of thumbing their nose at the N&W perhaps?
Not so often encountered at swap meets is the 1937 Car Builders' Cyclopedia which on page 232-233 has two drawings and a reasonably clear photo of one of these gons. Paint scheme is a bit different than that shown in the Reid book. And don't miss the similar C&O gon page 229 -- the 6 wheel trucks in particular look similar to Virginian's. Ancient memory is that the old Red Ball firm sold these odd trucks in HO.
And if you lack the 1937 Car Builders' Cyc (or cannot afford the incredible prices it now brings at swap meets) keep your eyes open for the Train Shed Encyclopedia No. 46 (Flats, gons and hoppers from the 1931 Car Builder's Cyclopedia). It has the same photo and drawings of the Virginian car as are in the '37 Cyc, as well as the C&O car and the Pressed Steel Car Co's 100 ton car with four wheel trucks, as well as the PRR's 110 ton gon and the N&W's 100 ton gon (which Red Ball, later Wabash Valley, featured as an HO kit featuring Pilchner 6 wheel trucks).
I am sorry this is the best I can do for you.
Sometimes it is the old freight cars, not just the locomotives, that explain why the deep steam era has such fascination for some of us
Dave Nelson