The Aurora Miniatures HO National Steel Car gondola is the latest North American freight car in the manufacturer’s product lineup. The newly tooled car, available for the first time as a mass-produced model, was designed using a variety of prototype resources.
The prototype
The sample we received is decorated as GNTX 295512, part of TTX’s 295500 through 296099 series built by National Steel Car in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada between August and December 2012. Cars from this group are used to handle scrap metal; railway track material; and a variety of finished metal products, including bars, billets, blooms, pipe, plate, rods, and tubing. The gondolas in this series don’t have lading anchors on the top chord tube.
The car is part of TTX Co.’s NSG21 class. N is for the builder, National Steel Car. S indicates service (steel or scrap loading). G stands for gondola. 21 is the design number (66-foot GNTX gondola with 6-foot-high sides).
Model features
The Aurora Miniatures gondola features an injection-molded plastic body. A few details, like the route card holder and Automatic Car Identification tags, are molded. However, the majority of the parts are factory applied, such as the wire grab irons and handrails, reinforcement plates at the bottom of the triangle-shaped exterior posts, and see-through etched-metal crossover platforms. The handle end of the plastic uncoupling lever is attached to a bracket secured to the bottom of the car. The opposite end fits in a notch in the draft-gear box cover.
A post on the Aurora Miniatures Facebook page notes the car has “The most detailed gondola underbody ever replicated in HO scale!” Though I haven’t seen every gondola model produced, the Aurora Miniatures car certainly isn’t lacking underbody parts. Among the features are an ABDX single-sided control valve, two-sided release rod with mounts, brake levers, brake lever support brackets, load-sensing valve, combined air reservoir, brake cylinder, low-mounted brake rods, and pipes connecting the components.
The gondola has 100-ton Barber S-2-HD trucks molded in a grimy black plastic with raised foundry data and brake beams. Features like the reporting mark and road number on the truck sides and rotating blue Brenco class K bearing caps further reinforce the premium quality of the model. Similar to the Gunderson hi-cube boxcar I reviewed in August 2023, a plate covers the screw on both trucks. To reach the screw, remove the plate with a flat-blade screwdriver.
A steel weight, painted to match the body color, accounts for a good chunk of the model’s 4.5 ounces. The smooth interior is a blank canvas for adding some rust weathering with paints and washes. There’s also plenty of room to add a load.
The prototype cars are well-documented online. In a quick search I found examples of full-size gons from the GNTX 295500 through 296099 series loaded with pipe, beams, scrap metal, and wire coils.
Model vs. prototype
Our review sample is neatly painted flat black. The lettering placement matches prototype images that I found online. All but the tiniest stencils are legible under magnification. Following the prototype’s lead, the yellow FRA-224 stripes closest to the side grab irons are 8 x 18 inches, while the intermediate stripes are 4 x 18 inches. The round National Steel Car builder’s decals between the first and second grab irons above the stirrup steps are nice touches.
The model is equipped with plastic AuroraJanney scale couplers that are .030” low on both ends. For those who use between-the-rails magnetic uncoupling, note that the couplers don’t have trip pins. A painted plastic train line hose, with the glad hand and adapter picked in silver, are attached to the side of the draft-gear box.
The blackened, machined metal 36” code wheelsets are correctly gauged. At 4.5 ounces, the gondola is 1.1 ounces too light per National Model Railroad Association Recommended Practice 20.1.
I tested the car on our Milwaukee, Racine & Troy and Wisconsin & Southern layouts. The car ran without incident while being moved around the interchange yard at Jones Island and in a freight train on the main line. For the most part, the AuroraJanney couplers worked well with other couplers. There were a few times I had to coax the plastic scale couplers to work with standard couplers.
The gondola’s dimensions match or are within scale inches of data published in the April 2023 Official Railway Equipment Register (S&P Global, 2023). I was able to get the car to navigate the 18” radius curves on our Beer Line layout, but the overhang wasn’t very realistic. At 9-1/4” inches long, the gondola will look and operate much better on 22” or greater curves.
A must-have contemporary car
Aurora Miniatures is the first company out the gate with an HO scale model of the NSC 3650 gondola, and the company set the bar pretty high. The long gondola will certainly stand out in a train, and if you’re layout is at eye level, the underbody details will be appreciated by operators and visitors. Since these are pool cars, the gondolas can be found throughout the North American rail system. If you model any time from August 2012 to the present, you’ll definitely want to check out this contemporary freight car.
Facts & features
Price: $59.99
Manufacturer
Aurora Miniatures North America Inc.
1122 Brimley Rd.
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
M1P 3G3
Era: August 2012 to present
Road names: TTX (20 road numbers). Also available painted black with data only
Features
- 36” metal wheelsets, in gauge
- AuroraJanney plastic scale couplers, .030” low on both ends
- Weight: 4.5 ounces (1.1 ounces too light per National Model Railroad Association Recommended Practice 20.1)
