What's in an "empty" gondola?

[eja]

Anyone have any overhead photos of empty gondolas?

I am guessing there are frequently pallets, wood blocks, smaller bits of scrap metal, sand or rocks in the corners.  I'm trying to make some empty gons look like they been used by including some stuff that did not get removed, and of course get rid that "new car look" on the gon's floor.

ed

[DirtyD79]

https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2021/11/gondola-interiors.html

Not sure about how to post pictures but here's some links of pics of empty gondola interiors from Tony Thompson's blog. While Tony models in HO scale there's still a lot of great information on there. He must have a zillion posts about waybills and paperwork too. You're definitely on the right track though. Me I'd go about it by hitting the insides with some weathering powders and sprinkling a tiny bit of scenery material scattered on the floor.

[lock4244]

You'll also find metal banding from earlier loads and rubbish. And hobos.

[wm3798]

That's pretty much it in a nutshell.
You'd probably find some dunnage... i.e. 4x4 or large chunks of timber that would hold a more valuable load above the floor to protect it from standing water.
Other than that, it would be bits and pieces of whatever was in there last.

Scrap metal, would be typical.  I guess a lot would depend on the waybill of the last load you moved with that car.

Lee

[NtheBasement]

Only photo I could find: https://trainiax.net/photos/2007/2007-07-06-cpqs/photo-cp355191-2007-07-06-cpqs.JPG

[DirtyD79]

That's pretty much it in a nutshell.
You'd probably find some dunnage... i.e. 4x4 or large chunks of timber that would hold a more valuable load above the floor to protect it from standing water.
Other than that, it would be bits and pieces of whatever was in there last.

Scrap metal, would be typical.  I guess a lot would depend on the waybill of the last load you moved with that car.

Lee

Another thing to consider is what it's going to haul next. If all it's going to haul would be another load of scrap metal or rubble the customer or the people in charge of the yard wouldn't really consider cleaning it out to be much of a priority. On the other hand if it's going to haul things like valuable steel coil where the surface finish and keeping it free from damage is important the customer would definitely want the inside of that gon to be free of debris.

[eja]

Great photos and ideas..... 


Thanks for the help.


ed

[learmoia]

One time we stored some open Gons that were used for sand durring the Oil Fracking rage.. and when we pulled them out they were filled with water...

Slack action on that train was interesting to watch with a block of 30 of those 'empty' gons

Basically 30 of these..

[nkalanaga]

Small trees?  I've seen a few on CSX in the Huntington-Charleston, WV area that have sat long enough that stuff is growing in them, tall enough to be seen from the ground.

[eja]

Small trees?  I've seen a few on CSX in the Huntington-Charleston, WV area that have sat long enough that stuff is growing in them, tall enough to be seen from the ground.

Interesting idea, but I plan (hope) to keep mine in revenue service 

[learmoia]

Don't forget to graffiti the inside of your empty Gondola..

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[John]

Now that's some graf I will have to add to my Ravens gondola

[dem34]

Don't forget to graffiti the inside of your empty Gondola..

Love Warring graffiti.

[Tristan Ashcroft]

My favorite gon ever was totally empty except someone had dumped about 20 fire extinguishers in a little pile at one end.  I definitely mean to model that someday.

[Tristan Ashcroft]

Not the same, but related - the best boxcar roof I ever saw had basically a full standard can of paint that had fallen from some height, smash landed on the roof, crumpled, sprayed paint everywhere, and just dried out and stuck there.  I suppose no one who cared ever made it up to the roof.  It was a plate C car, so I guess it never got scraped off on a bridge or whatnot.

I fully encourage railfanning from bridges.


Edited to fix the spelling of plate in "plate C".