Gondola cable or rope tie down points ?

[up1950s]

Any standard to them or is it a weld on your own design when you want ? Does it have to be cut off when load is delivered ?

[cv_acr]

Lots of gondolas have small loops spaced regularly down the car for tarp and other tie downs.

Some of them are attached to outer faces of the top chords, some to the sides of the cars. Other forms of tie downs are attached to the top surface of the top chords.

[Hawghead]

I've seen a lot of gons in service on the U.P. loaded with everything form ties to scrap to steel plates a foot thick, but I can honestly say I'm sure I've never seen one with any kind of tie down on them with one exception.  The cars carrying copper sulfide.  These have tarps over them that have slots cut into them that go over a piece of strap metal, about 6" long, that has a bolt through one end.  The bolt allows the strap metal to pivot so that the strap metal is rotated so it is pointing up, the slot in the tarp goes over the strap, then the strap is rotated down to hold the tarp in place.

Scott 

[wazzou]

I've seen a lot of gons in service on the U.P. loaded with everything form ties to scrap to steel plates a foot thick, but I can honestly say I'm sure I've never seen one with any kind of tie down on them with one exception. 

Scott

I don't have any photos of modern gondolas but I have several of older ones that have a series of horseshoe shaped half rings welded to the car sides, usually two per panel, about a foot below the top edge.
I'm sure there was some specific customers that these cars were assigned to where the lading required ropes or cables be affixed to cover something. 

[Hawghead]

Yeah, I should have been more clear when I said I've never seen any gons, other than the exception I mentioned, that had some sort of tie down on them.  I'm sure there are others I've just never seen any, and I've seen a lot of gons.  Because of their age and the abuse they are subjected to, I'd have to say they are the cause of more stopped trains than any other car.

Scott

[up1950s]

Thanks guys , I found the proto shot , looks like they are behind a lip in this car , maybe the lip is there so they have a smooth slidable edge to work with and to protect the loops themselves .

http://crcyc.railfan.net/crrs/gon/cr/cr510545.jpg

And now this model

https://lionelllc.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/6-17472_dropendgon.jpg

And this too

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chuckzeiler/26855240871

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Those last two, while usable for tie downs, were more likely for holding stakes in.

[cv_acr]

Those last two, while usable for tie downs, were more likely for holding stakes in.

Exactly, those internal loops are folding stake pockets.

Take a close look at the side panels of the below cars, and note the little upside-down-U shaped loops attached to the face of the car side:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ac695&o=ac
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ac1299&o=ac
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn149285&o=cn

On these cars, the tie down loops are attached to the outer face of the top chord:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn137673detail2&o=cn
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn156238&o=cn
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=prr371950&o=prr

Some cars had tie downs on top of the top chord/side, like this "bent wire" continuous tie-down like this:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=sou65000&o=sou
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=sou65400&o=sou
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=pwv7353&o=pwv

Or special tie down devices on the top of the side like these:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?o=co&i=co356260_2
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ln176266&o=ln

[cv_acr]

Then some of these seem to just have the tarp tie downs hooked to the bottom of the car side and pulled tight:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=mp642032&o=mp
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=mp643490&o=mp

[cv_acr]

This car had some tie down hooks at the top originally for light netting, but also has had an additional steel bar welded on for a continuous tie down rail for tarps.

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=aex9748detail1&o=aex

Or round bar/heavy wire:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=mwcx100767&o=mwcx
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=mwcx100742&o=mwcx
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=mwcx100473&o=mwcx
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=mwcx102094&o=mwcx

[up1950s]

Wow Chris , thanks . Unless one is modeling an exact prototype there are many options one can use to hold or cover loads . I guess the easiest repeatable would be lift rings .