Prairie Shadows - 6000 - Gondola, 50 Foot, Steel - Undecorated

Model Information: The drop-end 52'6" gondola was built in the 1950s for CN, CP and TH&B.
This tooling is owned by Prairie Shadows but actual production is performed via Rapido Trains in their Chinese factory.
It has seen only one run with CP, CB and TH&B road numbers; a second run was announced shortly after the first one in 2013, with more Canadian roadnames (Algoma Central, BC Rail and PGE) as well as a number of US railroads (Lehigh Valley, Conrail, Rio Grande, Western Maryland, Reading, NY Central), but has never been released so far.









It features:

• Fully detailed sides and interior;
• Full underbody detail;
• Die-cast frame for optimum weight;
• Body mounted Micro-Trains couplers;
• Correct ride height;
• Accurate paint and lettering.

Prototype History: In US railroad terminology, a gondola is an open-topped rail vehicle used for transporting loose bulk materials. Because of their low side walls, gondolas are also suitable for the carriage of such high-density cargoes as steel plates, steel coils, and bulky items such as prefabricated sections of rail track. For weather-sensitive loads, these gondolas are often equipped with covers.

All-steel gondolas date back to the early part of the 20th century. However, most of the early ones were shorter and used 40' designs. The ubiquitous 50' steel gondola we see modeled so often today are typical of railcars produced since the end of the second world war. In the late 1940s, steel became once again readily available and new, longer gondolas were produced to transport material for America's booming economy. Generally, these 50 foot cars have a capacity of 70 tons and were actually 52'6" long. The first models of this design were produced by the Erie Railroad and the Greenville Steel Car Co, but nearly identical cars were produced by Pullman, ACF and Bethlehem.

Road Name History: Although they may be molded in color, unpainted and unlettered, undecorated products are marketed to modelers who seek to custom decorate their models for private roads and/or road and/or company names that were not commercially produced by any of the major manufacturers.

Undecorated models are frequently also unassembled or only partially assembled and required modelers to be comfortable with glue, paint and sometimes solder in order to prepare their models for display. Materials for these models can vary but often include plastic, pewter and resin. Models may or may not come with decals or other decorations such as plastic signage, railings and ladders to enhance the appearance of the final product.

Brand/Importer Information: We focus on quality not quantity. Fair prices and fantastic service are our top priority, but special runs and exclusive items are what set us apart!

It is my hope we can help you make the most of our wonderful hobby. - Jeff Arnold

Commissioner Information: Prairie Shadows Model Railway Co. is a small model railway supply company located in Winnipeg, MB, and owned by Jeff Arnold. They pride themselves in providing solid service and fair prices.
They commissioned several exclusive N scale models to Rapido Trains Inc.