Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Soo Line gons in Green lettering?

16947 views
32 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Soo Line gons in Green lettering?
Posted by WCfan on Monday, March 12, 2007 8:33 PM

I saw on the web site below a green lettering Soo Line gondola. I was wondering if a company supplyed it.....or would I have to paint my own.

 

 http://www.railroadmichigan.com/wc63227.jpg

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Detroit, Michigan
  • 2,284 posts
Posted by Soo Line fan on Monday, March 12, 2007 9:18 PM

I have seen the prototypes many times up in the UP. The SOO bought those for pulpwood service.

I have never seen a factory painted one, but perhaps someone else has?

Jim

Jim

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Austin, TX
  • 1,752 posts
Posted by Don Z on Monday, March 12, 2007 10:46 PM

Those gondolas look like Aggro stopped by with his weathering materials.....Whistling [:-^]

Don Z.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 11:53 PM

Scale Rail Graphics offers this set.

Set 31056 - Soo Line Green Letter Gondola Set

(1 set does 2 (two) complete gondolas)

Click here to see a scan of the actual decals

  • #31056 - N    (N Scale)     $3.00
  • #31056 - HO  (HO Scale)  $3.00

 

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    August 2002
  • From: Somewhere here and there
  • 1,012 posts
Posted by Milwhiawatha on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 11:23 AM
But make sure they are instock before you order them he stopped printing decals up due o shrtage or printers and ink.
Owner & Operator of Midwest & Northern RR and Midwest Intermodal (freelanced HO)
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 7:16 PM

Soo put something on their freight cars called "Colormark".  I would guess that that might refer to some sort of color coding.  I must have been asleep in class when someone explained how that worked on the Soo--perhaps it could be repeated here?

 

Ed

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Thursday, March 15, 2007 1:48 AM

Part of Colormark orignally was color coding, but the most important part of it was listing loading features on the sides of cars.

Andrew Falconer

 

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Detroit, Michigan
  • 2,284 posts
Posted by Soo Line fan on Thursday, March 15, 2007 8:49 AM

Here is an example: To distinguish between a standard boxcar and one with internal tie downs the standard one was painted brown w/ white lettering. The Colormark car was painted White w/ red lettering along with the check mark.

Other font colors, such as green and blue were used for gondolas, covered hoppers and flats.

Later the lines were blurred. Some boxes were painted white w/ black lettering and no Colormark logo. Eventually the system was abandoned.

Jim

Jim

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Thursday, March 15, 2007 7:03 PM

Thanks for the explanation.  I do wonder if having different colored lettering is really going to help if you've got someone who can't tell a gon from a covered hopper.  Still, it's colorful.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Friday, March 16, 2007 1:55 AM

Notice that these unique Soo Line Gondolas with Green Lettering are Integrated Bulkhead Gondolas. Modern Bulkhead Gondolas must have been made in HO Scale. If you do not have a Bulkhead Gondola to letter, forget the Green Lettering set until you build one.

Andrew

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Friday, March 16, 2007 2:37 AM

You will need an LBF Company or Walthers type of Mill Gondola with rolled ends to start the project.

The orginal rolled ends will have to be popped out or cut out.

New Bulkhead ends for the gondola will have to be constructed from a larger sheet of plastic.

The bulhead section will have to be framed at the edges to match the real cars.

Andrew

 

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Saturday, March 17, 2007 8:41 AM

In the photos it shows that the bulkhead inside the gondola is a large flat sheet with U shaped braces welded on the back and a U channel welded as a frame to connect it to the sides of the car. This design will most likely have to be scratchbuilt, unless you can find some rare model company that injection molds the bulkheads.

Andrew

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Sunday, March 18, 2007 7:05 PM

The Atlas HO Thrall 2743 Gondola Gondola is coming this June or July.

It is the same type of gondola, you will only need to modify the ends.

Andrew

 

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Sunday, March 18, 2007 8:34 PM

You also will have to decide if you want your model of the SOO car to be one panel short--15 on the Atlas car or 16 on the SOO original.  It's also been noted that the Atlas cars have sides that are taller than earlier gons.  This may also be something to make a decision on.  I do agree that they have a very similar feel, though.

Ed

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Marion,Iowa
  • 239 posts
Posted by billbtrain on Sunday, March 18, 2007 8:55 PM

Here's another starting point for you.

http://www.modelerschoice.com/freightcars/kits/250001.htm

Have a good one.

Bill B

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Monday, March 19, 2007 1:56 AM

In the photo of the Modeler's Choice Thrall Gondola on the right side of the frame is a white gondola with bulkheads, just like the Soo Line Bulkhead Gondolas with Green Lettering.

What somebody needs to find out is how those bulkheads were built and does Modeler's Choice have a source for them.

Andrew

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Posted by WCfan on Monday, March 19, 2007 4:45 PM
I will probably take a  50' mill gondola from walters or Round House products and cut off the ends. I will build the bulk heads out of stryne. I'll see if I can find some of those decals or just order them. I would print them if I had the right printer. Thanks for the advice, this will add alot of interest to my rolling stock. I saw the red lettering gon.....Just another car I can add to my long list of Soo cars I want. 
  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Posted by WCfan on Monday, March 19, 2007 4:49 PM
I did notice the diffrent panal number on my Athern 50' gon (I forgot the brand) the one in the photo has 16 panles, and mine has 14.
  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Posted by WCfan on Monday, March 19, 2007 4:53 PM

I just rembered that Walthers made a Thrall gondola in Soo Red lettering. I saw a Brown Soo line gon with bulkheads. I going to see if I can find a photo of it.

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Marion,Iowa
  • 239 posts
Posted by billbtrain on Monday, March 19, 2007 11:00 PM

Andrew and WCfan.The bulkheads shouldn't be too hard to scratchbuild using Evergreen styrene.They look to be about 7 or 8 feet tall.Maybe a foot deep.The Modelers Choice cars look to be easy to build as opposed to cutting up a model to change ends.

Have a good one.

Bill B

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Detroit, Michigan
  • 2,284 posts
Posted by Soo Line fan on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 10:49 AM

Here is a good shot of the car end. I took this in Gladstone MI.

Jim

Jim

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 4:30 PM

Jim,

I can't tell from the end photo whether the "crosspieces" are made from rectangular section tubing (unlikely, I think) or channel section with the open end down.  Can you tell from the original?  Thanks for the photo, by the way.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Detroit, Michigan
  • 2,284 posts
Posted by Soo Line fan on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 5:29 PM

Ed,

Your welcome,

I have been asking myself that since I scanned in the photo. No, the original does not make it any clearer, sorry to say.

I have some other shots but none show the ends.

Jim

Jim

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Posted by WCfan on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 6:00 PM

To me it looks channeled. If you look closely to the fourth cross bracing from the bottom, you see a gap. Also on that bracing you see it's bent up a little, if it was boxed tubing that would of been less likely.

 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 7:29 PM

The Soo Line by Patrick Dorin on Page 158 has a Soo Line Railroad issued photo of these Bulkheads taken from a higher angle.

It appears to be a Sharp U Channel in the ends. From the shadows or dirt it looks like it is open from the top.

Andrew

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 7:38 PM

Buy the Spring 2004 issue of The SOO from the Soo Line Historical & Technical Society for this article for the full details. www.sooline.org.

Andrew

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Posted by WCfan on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 7:43 PM

I rember seeing at the paper mill at Wausau a Brown Soo Line bulk head Gondola. Do any of you have any pictures of it. I would also like to find some decals for it too.

Andrew, could you please send me that photo.  

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Posted by WCfan on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 8:24 PM

The modlers choice model has those same bulkheads like the one in Andews picture. But I think they are sold seperatly. So when they come out with the model, mabe I can find out where they got them. But are those the same bulkheads as in Jim and my photo?

http://www.modelerschoice.com/freightcars/future/ppmpv108.htm

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Detroit, Michigan
  • 2,284 posts
Posted by Soo Line fan on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 9:07 PM

Here are a couple more. I also bumped up the DPI on the above photo.

Jim

Jim

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vicksburg, Michigan
  • 2,303 posts
Posted by Andrew Falconer on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 12:10 AM
 WCfan wrote:

I rember seeing at the paper mill at Wausau a Brown Soo Line bulk head Gondola. Do any of you have any pictures of it. I would also like to find some decals for it too.

Andrew, could you please send me that photo.  

In the Soo Line by Patrick Dorin the Brown Gondola had an open frame square bulkhead.

Try to find it later.

Andrew

Andrew

Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!