BLMA - 14013 - Gondola, 52 Foot, ACF 70-Ton - Wabash - 12604

Model Information: This model was first announced in 2010, with batch A available in October 2010, and batch B in August 2011. The second release was announced in January of 2015 and made available in late June of 2016.

From the rail up, these N Scale models were engineered to capture the scale fidelity of the prototype. Featuring extremely fine molding, separately applied brake rigging, an etched-metal brake platform and more! Plus, these cars ride on BLMA's NEW 70-Ton Friction Bearing trucks with 33" Metal Wheels featuring a front AND backside wheel profile. If that wasn't enough, check-out the ride height on this model... Just like the prototype!

Features: Ready-To-Run, Injection-Molded Plastic, Fine-Scale Detail, Separate Brake Detail, Chemically Etched Brake Platform, Accurately Painted/Printed, Prototypical Ride Height,BLMA 70-Ton ASF Friction Bearing Trucks, BLMA 33" Scale Profile Metal Wheels, Body-Mounted Brown Knuckle Couplers

Prototype History: The 52-6 welded 70-ton drop-end gond4ola car as produced by ACF was first produced in 1948 for Pennsylvania Railroad as class G31, PRR alone purchased 11,600 welded cars of this body style in the G31/G31A/G31B/G35, serving the “Standard Railroad of the World” in 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 1990s.

Road Name History: Wabash was the product of an 1889 restructuring (under the leadership of Jay Gould) of several railroads centered around the Wabash St. Louis & Pacific. Wabash was unusual in that it evenly straddled the border between “eastern railroads” and railroads west of the Chicago-St.Louis-Memphis-New Orleans border. In the west, Wabash connected Kansas City, Omaha and Des Moines. Heading east from those points, Wabash reached St. Louis, Decatur, and Chicago. Then, clearly in the eastern territory, Wabash reached Fort Wayne, Detroit, Toledo and finally Buffalo. Total length was about 2500 miles. The Detroit to Buffalo line cut though southern Ontario, Canada on Canadian National trackage rights. That route also required a car float operation across the Detroit River. As a result, Wabash’s Buffalo traffic was a fraction of that of competitors Nickel Plate and New York Central. However, Wabash’s Detroit-Kansas City and Detroit-St. Louis service was a force to be reckoned with and well patronized by Michigan’s automakers. The Wabash Cannonball was the name of the daytime passenger run between Detroit and St. Louis. The song of the same name was a hit long before it was ever applied to the train itself. Wabash bought control of the Ann Arbor in 1925 and soon after, Wabash and Delaware & Hudson jointly bought control of the Lehigh Valley (Wabash’s principle connection in Buffalo.) This got the attention of the Pennsylvania Railroad who bought control of Wabash under the auspices of their “Pennsylvania Company” subsidiary in 1928.

As PRR planned their merger with New York Central, it became obvious that they could not take Wabash with them. The first step was to transfer control of Ann Arbor from Wabash to Detroit Toledo & Ironton (also in the Pennsylvania Company family.) Up to that point, Ann Arbor was routinely included in the official Wabash system map. Then PRR arranged for Wabash to be included in the Norfolk & Western-Nickel Plate-Pittsburgh & West Virginia merger that was being planned. PRR didn’t overtly control the N&W but they did have considerable influence over them. The deal was made and the new, larger Norfolk & Western leased the Wabash for 50 years in October of 1964. At that point, Wabash became a paper railroad. They were finally merged out of existence by N&W successor Norfolk Southern in the 1990s.

Brand/Importer Information: BLMA Models was founded in July of 2000 to bring Z, N, and HO Scale products of superior quality and originality to the model train community. At BLMA Models, we understand that quality and accuracy count in producing realistic scale models. Our passion revolves around accuracy, diversity, innovation and satisfaction to prototype model railroaders by providing exceptional products and service that goes beyond your expectations.

BLMA was acquired by Atlas Model Railroad in January of 2016.