HO ATH 52' Mill Gondola, Primed For Grime CarKnocker GONX 'White Stencil' #310070/310082/310897 (3)

CARKNOCKER PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:

In the late 1970s, the dire condition of many railroads’ gondola fleet was becoming apparent. Freight cars from the ‘40s and ‘50s were failing under the heavier loads and rough handling the gondolas typically endured. The TTX corporation stepped in to produce a system-wide pooled gondola service, ordering a fleet of 4000 new gondolas to be produces by five manufacturers. While the Athearn model is based on the Thrall-built version, all five are visually similar except for small details that require a trained eye to spot. Designers had identified the weaknesses of earlier gondola design, adding reinforced top cords with bolted corners, additional plate steel reinforcement to the ends, and bolting the exterior posts to the floor instead of welding; all features that allowed the gondolas to sustain rougher handling…and they needed it. The new paint smell didn’t last long. While other freight cars that looked the way these gondolas did would be retired, the engineers had done a commendable job at keeping these cars safe to operate even in a deformed condition. At over 40 years old, these cars are still circulating on railroads today, beaten, patched, dirtied, but not forgotten.