Manufacturer
ExactRail
251 West River Park Dr., Ste. 300
Provo, Utah 84604
www.exactrail.com
Era: 1965 to 1990s
Road names (three numbers each):Southern Pacific (repaint), Chicago & North Western, CSX, Missouri Pacific, Penn Central, St. Louis Southwestern, Union Pacific, undecorated kit ($21.95)
Comments: This distinctive high-side gondola is a replica of a Southern Pacific heavy-duty gondola built for iron ore service. Starting in March 1965, Gunderson built 900 of these solid-bottom cars that were 42′-6″ long and had a 2,420 cubic foot, 100-ton capacity. Our review sample no. 800005 matches the major prototype dimensions listed in the 1994 Official Railway Equipment Register.
These cars were designed to with- stand the rigors of ore service, which included rotary dumping. Each car had dreadnaught ends; straight, deep side sills; massive side stakes; and a heavy-duty top chord. The distinctive corrugated sides, designed to reduce loading distortion, came from Standard Railway Equipment Co.
Our sample has a highly detailed one-piece body with a separately applied underframe and an excellent AB brake system that includes the mechanical rodding and plumbing. The sides have good-looking exterior corrugations, but the interior is smooth. The stirrup steps are metal, while the ladders and grab irons are molded into the sides and ends.
The model rides on ExactRail’s 100-ton American Steel Foundries’ Ride Control trucks. These trucks have well-detailed rigid frames and include brake shoes that are aligned with the wheel treads. The wheelsets match the National Model Railroad Association standards gauge and have scale 36″ RP-25 contour wheels. With needle point axles, the trucks are free-rolling.
Our ready-to-run sample came with Kadee no. 58 scale couplers mounted in narrow coupler boxes. These boxes feature shank wedges, a striker cast- ing, and nut and bolt detail. However, the couplers were both mounted about a half-knuckle low.
A flat steel weight is concealed beneath the interior floor, so the car weighs 3 ounces. This is 1 ounce lighter than the NMRA Recommended Practice RP 20.1.
Our car was smoothly painted with clear, printed lettering that represents a SP prototype repainted in the 1980s. The other paint schemes are nonprototypical, but based on similar-looking cars.
