The Original Lowrider Returns!

[Craig Martyn]

Hi Everyone,

I'm pleased to note our latest announcement - SIX new schemes on our N Scale ACF 70-Ton 52' Gondola!



First produced in 1948, for Pennsylvania Railroad as class G31, PRR purchased 11,600 welded cars of this body style in the G31/G31A/G31B/G35, serving every corner of North America in many customer applications.  Besides PRR, several other railroads also purchased these gondolas from ACF, and some former PRR cars were purchased second-hand by various railroads.   Most of these gondolas were phased from revenue service during the 1990's. 
   
Don’t miss SIX new schemes on this fine-scale model!  Featuring extremely accurate detail, fine brake rigging, crisp lettering, and more, these models will be available later in 2015.  Pre-order today through your favorite dealer or direct - collect all 24 road numbers!

Visit our site to see more on this and other announcements:  http://www.blmamodels.com/blog

Thanks for looking!

[nkalanaga]

The PDF isn't quite clear enough for the magnification needed, so, "What is the service date on the SN gons?"  I can't find a picture of them anywhere online, and if they were in service in mid 1974, would be sorely tempted to buy one.

[reinhardtjh]

The PDF isn't quite clear enough for the magnification needed, so, "What is the service date on the SN gons?"  I can't find a picture of them anywhere online, and if they were in service in mid 1974, would be sorely tempted to buy one.

Follow the links to the order page and there are close up pictures.  Looks like the SN gons are "NEW 7-59"



and "BLT 7-59"



http://www.blmamodels.com/cgi-bin/webstore/shop.cgi?ud=AQgAAQsBBwYFBxQUEBEcHAADCAYABAEFCQkTEQAA&t=main.red.htm&storeid=1&cols=1&categories=02002-00024&&c=detail.red.htm&t=main.red.htm&itemid=ACFGONDOLA52-13

[reinhardtjh]

Now for my own questions.

I can't quite read the close up pictures for the PRR gons.  It looks like the "Late Keystone" gons are labels "BLT 3-51" and "P??? "5-57" while the "Plain Keystone" are "PKD 4-43" and "BLT ???" (varies between shots what my eyes think they see).  Craig can you list the dates for the "Late Keystone" and "Plain Keystone" models?

[unittrain]

Awesome

[ai5629]

This is one of my top five favorite freight cars in N scale.  I have 15 PRR CK, 5 PRR SK, 2 Wabash, 6 PC and 25 CR cars.  I have 4 CR cars that were damaged and used for parts and 9 more CR cars awaiting renumbering.  I really like the DLW and both PRR cars in this run.  The PRR PK cars should be BLT 6-51 and reweigh/repaint P62 4-62 (taken from Tangent web site for these cars).  The other PRR SK car is a mystery to me.  Tangent made an early SK and a late SK.  BLMA did the early SK in the second run of these cars.  Is this run the late SK?  If so, then the reweigh/repaint date should be 1959 I think.  I cannot find the late SK cars on the Tangent web site, so I am not 100%.  Either way, I will be getting some PRR and DLW cars.  I would love to see the PRR CK's rerun at some point.  Thanks for rerunning these cars Craig.

Jeff

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Nice!
I dig the late PRR car.

[Cajonpassfan]

Craig, you're killing me!
These are some of the finest N scale cars ever but because I model 1950, I can't use any of them. What is the build date on the Wabash car, can't quite read it....
(I do own several small Keystone Pennsy cars from the original run).
Still, nice job on these!
Best, Otto K.

[wazzou]

I assume that either Pennsy scheme would be seen frequently in the mid to late 1960's?

[skm]

<snip>The other PRR SK car is a mystery to me.  Tangent made an early SK and a late SK.  BLMA did the early SK in the second run of these cars.  Is this run the late SK?  If so, then the reweigh/repaint date should be 1959 I think.  I cannot find the late SK cars on the Tangent web site, so I am not 100%.  Either way, I will be getting some PRR and DLW cars.  I would love to see the PRR CK's rerun at some point.  Thanks for rerunning these cars Craig.

Jeff

It is a little confusing Jeff 
The .pdf brochure has the pics reversed for the 'plain K' and the 'late SK'... (just an FYI)
The detail pics on the BLMA website show a car from the earlier release #372348, but they list all new car numbers as being released.
So either the same scheme as earlier with new numbers, or a surprise scheme/reweigh date?

And, on a related note, this is a good time to shout out for the brake levers to be available as a separate part? Please, please! 
I have at least a dozen projects that could use them.....

[skm]

Craig, you're killing me!
These are some of the finest N scale cars ever but because I model 1950, I can't use any of them. What is the build date on the Wabash car, can't quite read it....
(I do own several small Keystone Pennsy cars from the original run).
Still, nice job on these!
Best, Otto K.

Hi Otto, although BLMA letters these gons for the G31B class, the G31 class was built in 1948 and was virtually indistinguishable (especially in N scale) from the G31B.
The Pennsy built 1,400 G31 class gondolas in their Altoona shops. There is a very good article in the RPC Vol.19 regarding these gons...
With a little creative relettering, you could have these in your fleet! 

[Craig Martyn]

It is a little confusing Jeff 
The .pdf brochure has the pics reversed for the 'plain K' and the 'late SK'... (just an FYI)
The detail pics on the BLMA website show a car from the earlier release #372348, but they list all new car numbers as being released.
So either the same scheme as earlier with new numbers, or a surprise scheme/reweigh date?

And, on a related note, this is a good time to shout out for the brake levers to be available as a seperate part? Please, please! 
I have at least a dozen projects that could use them.....

Good eye!  There was a little mix-up on the PRR schemes, but we're fixing that now...  Thanks!

Thank you for the kind words everyone!

[skm]

Good eye!  There was a little mix-up on the PRR schemes, but we're fixing that now...  Thanks!

Thank you for the kind words everyone!

"OOh, Ooh, ooh! Mr. Martyn" (in best Horshack voice) "Can we please get some extra brake levers added to this order????"

[ai5629]

I assume that either Pennsy scheme would be seen frequently in the mid to late 1960's?

The PRR cars would definitely have been seen in the late SK and PK schemes in the mid to late 1960's.  You would also have seen them in the early SK and CK schemes, albeit in lesser numbers and looking worse for wear.  Thanks.

Jeff

[amato1969]

Totally in for a few of the SK scheme.

  Frank