Model Railroading > "W" Tangent Bethlehem Gons; Have you heard of the WAG RR?

Tangent Scale Models is pleased to announce the availability today of our latest run of Bethlehem 52’6” 70-Ton Gondolas in HO scale.  Produced from 1937 until 1957, Bethlehem Steel Company produced over 6,000 of these Gondolas at its Johnstown PA plant and supplied parts to other builders to build an additional 3,000+ cars.  These gondolas saw service across the steam, steam-transition, and diesel-eras.  These cars could be loaded with steel products, automotive frames, bulk material and scrap metal, just to name a few, and served customers across the USA and Canada.  The prototypes were built with drop ends and equipped with various options per the buyer’s specifications.
 
The Tangent Scale Models Bethlehem 52’6” 70-Ton Gondola is a distinctive finescale replica that includes highly accurate lettering, “true to life” colors, and “near-scale” draft gear.  The Tangent model features prototype specific options as well as interior detail, wire grab irons, CNC-machined wheels, Kadee® scale couplers and an intelligent weight design to ensure the model operates as good as it looks.

Check them out now at www.tangentscalemodels.com in these FOUR sharp RTR schemes:
 
Wabash (WAB) "Original 1957" is from a group of 100 cars and was built by BSC and delivered to the Wabash in June of 1957.  Wabash lettering is an exercise in details:  From the big bold white Wabash graphics, down to the distinctive serifs on the car digits – it’s all there.  These Wabash replicas are detailed with a wood floor, standard draft gear, Dreadnaught ends and an Equipco brake wheel.  Take a look at the etched Wine tie-downs across the top chord of the car sides!  This scheme is available in four numbers.
 
Wellsville, Addison & Galeton (WAG) "1961 Paint" brings some wonderful northern Pennsylvania railroading charm to this release.  WAG rostered a small series of eight ex-B&O Bethlehem gondolas. Painted red with white lettering, this stunning model exhibits the details of its B&O O-59 class heritage including Duryea draft gear, a riveted steel floor, corrugated ends and an Ajax brakewheel.  This gem is available in two numbers!
 
Western Maryland (WM) "Original 2-54" continues Tangent’s attention to Western Maryland modelers.  This model features WM’s Delivery scheme on the railroad’s 250 car February 1954 order from Bethlehem Steel.  WM’s oxide Red paint with sharp and accurate graphics make this car pop!   The model is packed with key details like Dreadnaught ends, an Equipco brake wheel, a Gypsum brake step, a painted nailable steel floor and Wine tie-downs across the top chord of the car -- just like the prototype.  This car is available in four numbers!
 
Western Maryland (WM) "1967 Repaint" introduces a later scheme for this release.  Western Maryland converted several groups of gondolas from its Bethlehem fleet into L.C.L. Bulk Material Container Service in the late 1950s.  Tangent chose a pair of 1967 repaint subjects for this scheme.  WM oxide red paint and Tangent-Accurate lettering is finished off by a beautiful, era-identifying ACI label.   This series of cars features the details you expect from Tangent: Dreadnaught ends, Universal brake wheels, Gypsum brake steps, riveted steel floors and those gorgeous Wine tie-downs across the top chords of the cars.  This scheme is available in two accurate numbers!
 
Want to see photos of our new spectacular replicas?
See http://www.tangentscalemodels.com/ for a link to the new models!
 
We studied the prototype to accurately reproduce it with the following features:
- Dimensional accuracy – scaled exactly from Bethlehem Steel plans
- Highly accurate “true to life” colors
- Exact fonts and lettering placement – compare our replicas to the prototype photos on our website!
- Detail variations: Tie downs appropriate for each paint scheme
- Detail variations: Steel or wood deck inside the car
- Detail variations: Duryea and conventional end sill detail appropriate for each paint scheme
- Detail variations: Tack board locations appropriate for each paint scheme
- Detail variations: End door variations (Dreadnaught and Straight Corrugated) appropriate for each paint scheme
- Brake platforms appropriate for each paint scheme
- Road-specific handbrakes applied to match production specifications (Universal, Ajax, or Equipco handbrakes available as separate parts, too!)
- Interior deck sits at the scale height
- Interior detail inside the gondola
- Wire grab irons and coupler lift bars
- Air hoses
- Weighted to NMRA specs for smooth operation
- Kadee® scale metal couplers
- Tangent 70-Ton ASF A-3 Ride-Control trucks with free-rolling metal wheels
- Recommended age 14 years and older.
 
Do not miss out on this popular Bethlehem 52’-6” 70-Ton Riveted Drop-End Gondola!  Pricing for our new RTR gondolas is $38.95 each with quantity discounts for direct purchases from Tangent Scale Models.
 
Thank you for continuing to support Tangent Scale Models, a family-owned and operated company! 
 
David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models
“Unparalleled scale replicas for discriminating railroad modelers”

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And here is a final image showing the 1967 WM scheme.  Thank you to Trainorders.com for allowing us to post here!

David Lehlbach
Tangent

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Beautiful items. I already have purchased some of your cars. I am still waiting for steam era 40 ft.  gons like the kits that Sunshine Models produced in resin. There were oodles of these steam era gons used on American railroads. You can only have so many long mill gondolas.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

Like them all Dave-excellent !

Mike Bannon
St Catharines, ON

Excellent article on the WAG in the December 1970 issue of RMC.

jburek Wrote:
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> Excellent article on the WAG in the December 1970
> issue of RMC.

Cliff notes?

Didn't know the WAG had gons.  Better known for their outside braced wood boxcars.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Ref the WAG Gons...According to the Official Railway Equipement Register (ORER), there were 8 on the roster in October 1967, 7 in July 1969 and January 1970, and 0 in April 1973.  Looks like they left the WAG roster between early 1970 and early 1973.

Ron

They had some classic big GE center cab switchers after steam went silent. Can’t remember the ton rating. The had chrome end grills. Next came ex-SP F-7 with pilot plows. Must have been a lot of kinked necks after switching a shortline all day! Classic cabooses too!  A hurricane ended operations. Hurricane Agnes’s?
CM80.46

According to the wiki page WAG was damaged by Agnes in '72 but had more floods after that, filed for abandonment in '75, approved in '78, and final freight ran in March '79...   I had only ever seen the boxcars.  The Tangent gons look nice but too early for my railroad...   I'd like to see Tangent do the WM cars in Chessie paint though if any ever received it.