3/01/2016

Lehigh Valley Gondola 33308

I had the good fortune to find myself in JP's Trains & Hobbies last Thursday (Latham, NY) where I discovered and bought this model.  While I don't jump on many of the newer (high priced) offerings, when I see ones this accurate, I consider them a must have.
 
Tangent has included a detailed history of these Bethlehem Steel built cars from their original construction date in 1952 to their ultimate demise in the mid-eighties.  They offer the model in the original scheme: product number 10918 (01-06) and in the 1973 repaint scheme 19911 (13-16). Something for your era whatever it is!
 
As with many of the newer companies this offering comes with complete under-frame detail, cut-levers and separate grab irons, etc. It even has the load tie-downs along the top cord and, of course, accurate truck side-frames.

I chose to get the 1970's version since I had already built a fairly accurate early version many years ago.  Remembering what it took to build that car (photo 4) I consider this model from Tangent to be a bargain!  Photo 5 is from a slide I took in Port Jervis 4/81 when this car was about at the end of it's useful life.

Note: I scrap steel load is my own fabrication (see my how-to in RMC 8/2013)
 
Wayne Sittner

No comments: