High Side Gondola Number 1423
General Information
This car is probably the most unusual of the surviving nine stake cars. Much of the hardware on the car is different from the other nine stake cars. It retains the original cast stake pockets and is equipped with the trapezoidal striker plate group and the built-up truck bolster. This bolster is very similar to the box car bolster. The break platform support used with the trapezoidal striker plate group is the bent bar stock version, which is used because the break platform is wider than the normal platform used with the other striker plate types. The end tie downs on the 1423 are on the inside on the "A" end and on the outside on the "B" end. The two outside stakes at each end and on both sides have a bolt, under the stake pocket, running through the stake and into the side sill. The rest of the stakes do not.
The most unusual aspect of this car is the side support brackets. The 1423 has the small cast hook that is by far the rarest of the three types.
Many models and drawings are based on this car. For instance, the plastic Grandt Line high side gondola stake casting is of the original cast stake pocket, like the pocket used on this car. Of three different kinds of stake pockets found on high side gondolas, this one is by far the rarest. If you are building models of these cars, my advice is to be wary; many of the hardware details available are actually not very common in the real world.
Detail Version Table
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Gondola Number 1423 - Colorado Railroad Museum |
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Number of Stakes: |
9 |
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Stake Pockets: |
Original cast |
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Side Support Bracket: |
Cast hook - original? |
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Inside Steps: |
Wood - missing |
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Floor: |
Humped - no patches |
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Bolsters: |
Original built up strap |
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Draft Gear: |
Economy |
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Striker Plate Group: |
Trapezoidal |
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Brake Platform Support: |
Formed bar stock |
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End Tie Downs: |
Inside "A" end, outside "B" end |
Floor
(not to scale)
Inside
(not to scale)
