Those infamous Clam shell gondolas

[Ralph]

Maligned both as a prototype and a model, I've still always liked these cars and bought seven of them over the years at flea markets for a couple of bucks a piece. For those who are unfamiliar with the clam shell coil car, the prototype is an Evan's product from the 1960s that was one of the first dedicated steel coil cars. The clam shell lid opened so half of the lid slid down either side of the car, providing access for loading and unloading. Seemed like a well intentioned concept but the heavy shells often got bound up, twisted, and dropped unexpectedly, creating a safety hazard. I think the P&LE had about 50 of them while the Bessemer had considerably fewer. Most had the lids removed pretty quickly and either ran without tops or had different styles fashioned.



Here is a prototype photo of a simlar car...
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In my imagined layout world, the KP&W thought the concept was worth a second try so they purchased seven of the gons from the P&LE and B&LE, tinkered with them in their shops, and found a way to make them work. I added body mounted couplers, a little patching and the KP&W logo, weathered liberally, and put them in service. They are often seen on the "Steel Job" coming out of Williams Yard for KP Steel.

[Tyson Rayles]

Very nice Ralph !

[Sumpter250]

Hmmmmm,
Looks like either the Cindys Harbor will have to run some of those, and run a standard extension on to the shipyard property, or the SHS&D will have to build some 3' gauge versions of those cars...........................after I get around to building the 3' gauge "container cars", for bringing the scrap Steel, and Iron, into the shipyard foundries.
Nice weathering job on those cars!

[Kev1340]

Nice cars Ralph, good to see them getting some use. I agree about the great weathering too

Cheers,

Kev

[nachoman]

I've got one of those cars in a junk box. i like what you did with yours.

[Ralph]

Thanks guys. Here are some pics of the green former P&LE cars. The KP&W shops were willing to retool the lids and put the company logo on...but they did not want to completely repaint the gons...

[Ralph]

Former P&LE and B&LE cars being set out at KP STEEL...

[jwb]

Very nice, Ralph! The patching is well thought out.

[eightyeightfan1]

Those are cool. I'd like to have a couple but they are before my time period.
Hmmmm......I wonder....

[MountainMan]

Congratulations on adding some unique rolling stock to your roster.

[sailormatlac]

Ralph, I got one of those cars in the Bessemer scheme. I love them too, however mine don't have the clam covers... which is a shame, I know! You really did a nice job on them! Good thing KP&W knows their real value! Do they have operational issues since they reshopped them! ;-)

Your steel coil are so realistic! What are they?

Matt

[e-paw]

Nice work.. I remember seeing cars like that when I was a kid.

[Ralph]

Thanks guys!

Matt, the silver coils on wooden frames are commercially made. They originally came as three coils on a long wooden frame that you can drop in a gondola. I cut them apart. The slightly rusted coils behind them are rolls of silver paper I wrapped around a dowel stick and then dusted with artists chalks. It was an idea I read about in MR.

So far the KP&W shop's tweaking the covers seems to be working.