Model Railroading > Tangent January: Staple gondolas, 1940 - 1980s

Tangent Scale Models announces 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 released over 6,000 of these Gondolas at its Johnstown PA plant and supplied parts to other car manufacturers 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 floor, end door, and underframe 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 EIGHT (8) sharp RTR schemes:
 
Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) "O-59A 3-1940 Capitol Dome Delivery" replicates the as-delivered capitol dome scheme found on Baltimore & Ohio’s third order of these riveted drop end gondolas.  Keep in mind that B&O rostered no less than 3,800 of these gondolas, representing one of the largest single-design gondola fleets of any era.  This black carbody with white stenciling scheme has the distinctive B&O “Capitol Dome” logo located on the left side of the car next to the B&O reporting marks.  With the “Baltimore & Ohio” lettering on the right side of the car, this is a classic 1940s-1960s scheme not to be missed.  This paint scheme was last offered ten years ago, and is available again now with 6 all-new road numbers!  3 road numbers are numbered for March 1940, while 3 road numbers are numbered for April 1940 production.
 
Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) "1957 O-59 Repaint" represents our offering to 1957 and later modelers with one of the B&O’s repaint variations.  This car has a large gothic “B&O” in white stenciling sprayed onto the car sides and is one of the most requested paint schemes we have had for this car.  This particular variant of the company scheme was applied by B&O’s Glenwood Yard shop forces, located in Pittsburgh.  Tangent is now offering this all-new scheme in 6 road numbers. 
 
Central Railroad of Pennsylvania (CRP) “Original 1944” is the as-delivered scheme for CNJ (Central Railroad of New Jersey).  This is a huge and highly relevant series of 1,000 cars, the largest car class on CRP/CNJ.  The scheme includes a black carbody with white stencils including “Lady Liberty” and “Jersey Central Lines.”  Carbody details include a wood floor, dreadnaught ends, and conventional draft gear.  This scheme is available in 6 all-new road numbers.
 
Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) “Restencil 1952” includes the as-delivered 1944 paint scheme complete with “Lady Liberty” and “Jersey Central Lines” on a black carbody.  This restencil version includes the addition of CNJ reporting marks and a 1952 reweigh date, which represents the year the prototype cars changed ownership from CRP to CNJ.  This CNJ car is available in 6 all-new road numbers.
 
Lehigh Valley "USRE Green 1970" represents a different green variant from our most recent run.  Both greens are correct!  The history: Lehigh Valley engaged United States Railway Equipment (USRE) to refurbish and repaint its fleet of 1940s/1950s-built Bethlehem Steel built gondolas at its facility in Washington, Indiana.  USRE repainted these in a variety of colors, and this blue-green color was utilized on many of the shopped cars.  This model Is full of little details: a light gray interior wall color matching the prototype, etched-metal Wine tie-downs on the top chord of the car, and stand-off metal ACI plates -- just like the prototype.  This is the first time Tangent has released this scheme from April of 1970, and it is available today in 6 road numbers!
 
Lehigh Valley "Gray 5-1973" represents a series of Lehigh Valley’s gray-painted, internal shop program repaints that were performed at Sayre, Pennsylvania!  Lehigh Valley (and USRE) painted these Bethlehem Steel gondolas in a myriad of colors including two different greens, Cornell red, black, and gray.  This is our first gray-painted offering!  This model includes a light gray interior wall color matching the prototype plus the etched-metal Wine tie-downs on the top chord of the car, and ACI label.  This is the first time Tangent has released this scheme from May of 1973, and it is available today in 6 road numbers!
 
Wellsville, Addison & Galeton (WAG) "1961 Paint" once again 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 today in four numbers: two numbers that are repeated from our 2019 production (3005 and 3007) for those who missed out, and two brand-new numbers (3002 and 3004)!
 
Western Maryland "Chessie 1980" represents our first Chessie variant for these cars!  These cars are now available in the “Flow Control Container Car” scheme which were repaints of Western Maryland “speed lettering” cars.  These cars were repainted at Elkins, West Virginia.  The Chessie cat logo is centered on the car and captured beautifully.  Don’t miss out, these are available now with 4 road 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: Side chord tie downs appropriate for each paint scheme
- Detail variations: Steel or wood decks inside the car
- Detail variations: Duryea or conventional end sill detail appropriate for each paint scheme
- Detail variations: End door variations (Dreadnaught and Straight Corrugated) appropriate for each paint scheme
- Detail variations: Tack board locations appropriate for each paint scheme
- Detail variations: Brake platforms appropriate for each paint scheme
- Detail variations: 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
- Separate air hoses
- Weighted to NMRA specs for smooth operation
- Genuine Kadee® scale couplers
- Tangent 70-ton ASF A-3 Ride-Control trucks
- CNC-machined 33” wheels in high quality Tangent Scale Models trucks, with semi-scale wheels available separately
- 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 $40.95 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
 

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3 more photos...

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2 more photos here.  Thank you to Trainorders.com for allowing us to post!

David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models

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Are we ever going to see another run of WP gons?

How about some with the coil cradles?
Luke

TomG Wrote:
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> Are we ever going to see another run of WP gons?

Posted from Android

We will offer WP cars down the road, yes.  Thank you for asking!

Coil cradle parts are available on the PRR / PC Shops G43 Gondolas Parts page on our website here.  https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/product-category/parts/parts-prrpc-g43-class-corrugated-side-gondola/   Look for the floor parts WITH COIL RACK.

Best wishes,

David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models

NIce. But I'm still waiting for steam era 40 ft gons. Surely, there were oodels of them and some standard designs. I have plenty of 50 ft. and mill gons from various manuafacturers.

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

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> NIce. But I'm still waiting for steam era 40 ft
> gons. Surely, there were oodels of them and some
> standard designs. I have plenty of 50 ft. and mill
> gons from various manuafacturers.
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

I hear you, and concur that a 40-ish foot gondola would be nice, but I think the reality is that modern modelers can justify old 50' models, but perhaps not old 40' models. So it makes sense that since a 50' gondola would have a larger "target market," that's more likely to be produced.

Intermountain/Red Caboose has some nice 40' gondolas, especially the GS and USRA gondolas. With some effort, Accurail and Bachmann can be made into nice models. The Bachmann model's heritage, if I'm not mistaken, can trace back to some older models that can be available fairly inexpensively by Life-Like (pre Proto-2000), Tyco, and Varney.

Those of us modeling the Steam Era (pre-1960, 1953 specifically for myself) have our challenges cut out for us, don't we?

I'm ordering the "Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) O-59A 'Capitol Dome' Bethlehem 70-Ton Riveted Drop-End Gondola," partly to encourage Tangent to produce more steam and/or transition era models, but also because it looks to be a really nice model. I'm also ordering a couple 8,000 gal tank cars that are era-appropriate for me. The Hooker tank car barely makes my cut-off, and will have to have minimal weathering.

Hang in there partner!

Arved Grass
Fleming Island, FL

Thanks for the support Arved. Fortunately, I have a few resin kit 40 ft. gons from Sunshine Models and F&C. But working on some RTR gons to make them into correctly presentable cars is on the list. IIRC, when you discount hoppers, gons were second in quantity to box cars in the steam and transition eras. I have purchased more than a few of Tangents models, mostly tank cars. The B&O and CRP cars are tempting.

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

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/21 21:07 by wabash2800.

TangentScaleModels Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We will offer WP cars down the road, yes.  Thank
> you for asking!
>
> Coil cradle parts are available on the PRR / PC
> Shops G43 Gondolas Parts page on our website
> here. 
> https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/product-categor
> y/parts/parts-prrpc-g43-class-corrugated-side-gond
> ola/   Look for the floor parts WITH COIL RACK.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> David Lehlbach
> Tangent Scale Models

Outstanding!