Model Railroading > New ExactRail Announcement - A Gondola

Hello,

I just got an email from the ExactRail Insider mailing list announcing a new product, the Gunderson 2420 gondola in HO scale. Road names are SP, ATSF, ICG, GN, SCL, and CR.

Here is what a Gunderson 2420 looks like:
http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/gon/g100-07.htm

Price is $19.95. This car is part of a new "Express Series," which the email says "is designed to present the best price-performance value in the industry," whatever that means.

They are also doing 12 additional numbers on the FBOX in HO.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/09 22:55 by neilgross.

I will be buying a few of those SP gons, never thought I would ever see a model of those cars. I also notice that many of the cars on the ExactRail website are now sold out. Great to see that business is good.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Just ordered 3 on the GN gons last night. Hope they are as nice as the pics.

DHF

I got the email also. Based on reading this, the SP is the only real owner of this gon and the rest are just foobies. Am I reading this correct?

Bruce

-------------------------------------------------
Roads Numbers &nbsp Roads Numbers
SP: 333502 333543 333604 GN: 78603 78668 78678
ATSF: 168935 168976 168998 SCL: 746801 746803 746807
ICG: 246000 246024 246085 CR: 607302 607330 607345


About the Gunderson 2420
Beginning in March of 1965, Gunderson built nine hundred 2,420 cu. ft. capacity gondolas for the Southern Pacific. With a straight, deep side sill, massive side stakes and a heavy duty top cord, these cars had a distinguished appearance without comparison. The Southern Pacific implemented rebuilding programs for these cars on two occasions, which kept them on the rails well into the nineties. ExactRail has precision captured the beautiful lines of these cars from the full flute side panels to the dreadnaught ends. Accurately decorated in Southern Pacific as well as classic period-era Heritage Decoration schemes, these classics are sure to please modelers from all corners of the hobby.

---

brfriedm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I got the email also. Based on reading this, the
> SP is the only real owner of this gon and the rest
> are just foobies. Am I reading this correct?


That is correct.

-Rick

Rick Selby
Redmond, WA
Pacific Northwest RPM

I just ordered up three.. two SP, one ATSF. The ATSF will be stripped to become a SP G-100-7R sans letterboards.

Cheers,
Harry

Ditto - placed my order for two SPs and one ATSF earlier this morning.

PE

tracktime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just ordered up three.. two SP, one ATSF. The
> ATSF will be stripped to become a SP G-100-7R sans
> letterboards.
>
> Cheers,
> Harry

"Express series" ??? I find it disappointing to see new companies start out bringing good, relatively accurate and detailed products only to find they also need a "Trainman" series. Is this gondola one of those or is it a step above that?

I wonder if Tangent is going to head that way too ????? I hope not.

Rick

IF they would have done six plus numbers on this run for the SP, I would have bought that many, but being limited to the three that's all I got.

rschonfelder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Express series" ??? I find it disappointing to
> see new companies start out bringing good,
> relatively accurate and detailed products only to
> find they also need a "Trainman" series. Is this
> gondola one of those or is it a step above that?

Rick - Obviously I can't say for certain yet, but it looks like this model is "near-Trainman." Blaine Hadfield posted on another list that it will have some separately applied details, but it looks like from the small photo that the end ladders and vertical straps are molded into the ends. Perhaps the side ladders and grabs are separate (can't tell from the photos), but the "separately applied details" could be the lettering panels on the sides of the car. I would bet the underframe is similar to the PC&F 6033 and the Trinity FBOX with accurate but molded details.

I'm curious why their email says "A New Addition to the Evolution Series" in reference to the Trinity FBOX. It's the same model they already released, just with 12 new numbers. When I first read it and saw the picture, I thought it was another builder's FBOX, like NSC's version.

EDIT: Ah, I see their blog has a little more info - the gondola write-up says "These cars also feature fully detailed brake rigging, separately applied placards with complete bolt detail, and the most precision integrally molded detailing ever offered in scale model replication." So molded grabs and ladders. Maybe I'll get a Santa Fe to strip and detail too...

Dave



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/09 17:57 by drolsen.

I'll bet this gondola has better detailing/tooling than ANY trainman car. I wouldn't go as far to classify it as a trainman car yet...take a look at it first...kick the tires...then decide.

My hope is that MAYBE we'll get some Bethlehem Steel quad hoppers from Exactrail in this series...so I can replace my stand in cars with them in the near future.

At any rate...I look forward to another manufacturer coming out with products in HO...anyone should...IMO.

Thomas Austin
Centralia, IL
Joppa Sub Layout Site



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/09 18:26 by JoppaSub.

Dave,

Just by way of confirming your previous post, the Express Series Gunderson 2420 Gondola does have molded on ladders, grabs and stirrups. That said, the tooling detail for these items exceeds the standards of any previous molded details that I've seen in the industry. My personal interests are such that I am generally pretty finicky with respect to these details. However, even with molded details, I eagerly await the edition of this car to my own layout.

I say that I eagerly await because ExactRail sold out of the second and third road numbers of the SP car in just an afternoon, and the first road number is down to just a small few. These cars were inventoried as a pre-announcement sale item for our Insiders, and there are more coming with an general announcement to follow. Sometimes however, even employees get left behind.

Blaine Hadfield
Production Manager, ExactRail

I'd just like to echo that if the Beth Steel quad hopper is the car I think it is, I'd love to see somebody do those, too.

The car I'm thinking of is a hundred-ton car with slope sheets that run right up to the top of the car, rather than having any visible end wall. Illinois Central has a lot of them and other roads known for this car (or similar designs) include B&LE, Clinchfield, and L&N.

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The car I'm thinking of is a hundred-ton car with
> slope sheets that run right up to the top of the
> car, rather than having any visible end wall.
> Illinois Central has a lot of them and other roads
> known for this car (or similar designs) include
> B&LE, Clinchfield, and L&N.

I'd love to see a model of that prototype:

http://drolsen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=327974

http://drolsen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=327857

http://drolsen.rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?id=415976

L&N and CRR modelers need dozens, and CSX modelers need almost as many!

Dave

Thanks for answering those questions Blaine. Do you know if undecorated kit, or better yet, and later version of the SP car (minus the letterboards) will be produced in the general run of these cars?

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Until what year were these cars used on the SP/UP? Are any parked on some siding somewhere now, or all cut up?

Did Santa Fe have any cars similar to this or is Exact Rail pulling it out of their @#$?

I have seen some ATSFs that look somewhat like this I think, but I remember them being longer.

...

foamer Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------
>
> I have seen some ATSFs that look somewhat like
> this I think, but I remember them being longer.
>

Conrail and Santa Fe both had cars that looked like this....but they were longer. Walthers did one for a while as a kit, but I don't recall if they produced them in Conrail. I'd happily go for this type of gon in Conrail and undecorated if it were a 50' (or whatever is the right length for CR) car.

I think Exactrail should just change their name to "SPrail" and lets call a spade a spade. :")

It will be interesting to see how they advertise the foobies. They should not be cryptic about it.

Bruce

Blaine, do you plan on releasing more #'s on those SP gons?

Also when are the 50' SSW box cars going to be rereased in HO?


choochooboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dave,
>
> Just by way of confirming your previous post, the
> Express Series Gunderson 2420 Gondola does have
> molded on ladders, grabs and stirrups. That said,
> the tooling detail for these items exceeds the
> standards of any previous molded details that I've
> seen in the industry. My personal interests are
> such that I am generally pretty finicky with
> respect to these details. However, even with
> molded details, I eagerly await the edition of
> this car to my own layout.
>
> I say that I eagerly await because ExactRail sold
> out of the second and third road numbers of the SP
> car in just an afternoon, and the first road
> number is down to just a small few. These cars
> were inventoried as a pre-announcement sale item
> for our Insiders, and there are more coming with
> an general announcement to follow. Sometimes
> however, even employees get left behind.
>
> Blaine Hadfield
> Production Manager, ExactRail

Also curious if re-releases will be the same numbers or new numbers. Or if they even plan on re-releases.