As I prepped the layout for a recent operating session, I realized there were only a couple of loads on hand for the gondolas. I wanted more variety and remembered I had a neat kit in the stash. I checked a few boxes and found it.
A favorite prototype image is this Pennsylvania Lines G22 class gondola with a load of lumber. This image inspired an afternoon at the workbench for a new load.
I had bought a couple of these Owl Mountain Models lumber loads a few years ago, along with their fine Southern Pacific flat car kit. The kits have an abundance of injection molded plastic parts to create lumber loads.
Before assembling the stacks, I reviewed the recommended loading practices that were often featured in Official Railway Equipment Registers. The diagram and the instruction details guided where I placed the stickers that separated segments of the loads. While these loading practices were available, it’s obvious that not all labor crews followed the recommendations. Just comparing the load diagram with the prototype lumber load in the Pennsy gondola you can see some issues.
Some of the wood layers parts are open inside while many offer the full surface. I made the stacks about thirty inches tall, as per the loading diagram. Stickers were glued to the bottom. Two stacks were glued together with a full surface casting on top.
Side and top braces followed to build the full stack. Before I made these, I test fit the stacks into a gondola. I added a third short stack on top but noticed the overall height exceeded the tallest box cars on my layout. I kept these final stacks to a shorter height. I model 1926 so later clearances would be different.
I liked how these looked but they were a little clean. I applied a very light burnt umber weathering wash to the tops and sides then added some soot color Pan Pastels. No matter where a freight car travelled in 1926, it would accumulate grime and soot. After the light weathering, it was time to see how these looked on some models.
An Accurail steel gondola was the first test. The loads fit but were tight. I sanded the side braces at a slight angle from the point just below the stickers. That improved the fit.
Next up was an Intermountain USRA gondola.
A Westerfield USRA mil gondola was the next test. The lumber stacks fit but I had to be careful with placement with interior details.
A Walthers USRA mill gondola was next. As these models do not have interior details, the lumber stacks fit easily.
I have a couple Santa Fe Caswell gondolas. These were produced with early lettering many years ago by Intermountain. The lumber stacks fit easily.
The loads also fit this Nickel Plate Road truss rod wood gondola. The lumber stacks did not fit into a few other resin gondola kits. The Funaro & Camerlengo produced Reading composite GHd mill gondola, PRR GR, and GS gondolas were a tad too narrow for the loads to fit.
Lumber loads look great on flat cars, too, so I tried these on a couple of models. But I realized I missed a detail when I built the stacks. I did not position the side braces to fit into the stake brackets on the models as you can see on the B&O flat car above.
The same issue was apparent when I set the loads onto an Owl Mountain flat car. I need to pay more attention to this when I build the next lumber stacks. Of course, flat car stake brackets are not in uniform locations. This Southern Pacific flat car has twelve stake brackets, as does the B&O flat car in the previous image. But the bracket spacing differs quite a bit between the two. Just another detail to work out for the next time.
I think I’ll also build taller stacks next time. The load diagram illustrates three thirty-inch tall lumber segments on the cars. I’ll play around with the parts to see what I can build that is about eight feet tall, including the stickers and bracing. This Owl Mountain Models kit assembled easily and offers options for some great lumber loads.
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I have these same kits awaiting me somewhere. Very helpful comparison of cars to put them on. And thanks for the heads up on matching the stake pockets! They look great.