Trainworx - 25287-04 - Gondola, 50 Foot, Thrall Hi-Side - Georgetown - 1306

Model Information: This is a very high quality model with all the features you would expect from a tooling made from 2010 on. It features: Die cast under frame for superior weight and tracking; Separate plastic under frame details; 100T trucks with Fox Valley metal wheels; Body mounted magnetic knuckle couplers; Detailed plastic body; Separate brake stand and brake wheel; and Etched metal grab irons, ladders, foot boards, stirrups, tow rings and retaining valve linkage.

Prototype History: Thrall was a recognizable freight car manufacturing company in the 1960s to 1980s. Their designs still carry on today. The company focused on building specialized freight cars including high side gondolas, and rotary-dump gondolas for coal. In the 1980s, Thrall acquired five competing railcar manufacturers and became the largest such manufacturer of these cars in the United States.

In the 1960s, coal haulage shifted from open hopper cars to high-sided gondolas. Using a gondola, the railroads are able to haul a larger amount of coal per car since gondolas do not include the equipment needed for unloading. However, since these cars do not have hatches for unloading the products shipped in them, railroads must use rotary car dumpers (mechanisms that hold a car against a short section of track as the car and track are slowly rotated upside down to empty the car) or other means to empty them.

Road Name History: In 1958, Missouri Pacific applied to abandon their Georgetown branch (Kerr to Georgetown) in Texas. The Georgetown Railroad was incorporated to take over operation of the line and in 1959 service began. The branch was just short of 8 miles long and service began with Baldwin switchers doing the work. This route comprised most of the original Georgetown Railroad from 1878 which was acquired by International & Great Northern (later to become a MoPac subsidiary) the following year. Over the years, gravel and aggregates came to dominate Georgetown’s traffic and the volume increased exponentially. By 1990, Georgetown required 17 locomotives and 1,300 cars to serve their 8 miles of route. Then Georgetown purchased from Union Pacific the line past Georgetown to Granger, Texas, bringing the mileage up to 24.

In 1991, Georgetown bought the Belton Railroad which was a former MKT line between Belton and Smith, Texas. This line is disconnected from the rest of the GRR. In addition to gravel, Georgetown moves ammonium nitrate for fertilizer, lumber and some grain.

Brand/Importer Information: Trainworx was founded in 1999 by Pat Sanders and is located in Delta Colorado. Their first freight car was the Quad hopper and it was released in 2000. They have been making N scale products ever since. Their website can be found at www.train-worx.com. As of 2016, they have produced 8 different rolling stock body styles as well as a range of different highway vehicles in N Scale. Their limited edition runs have proven a huge success with collectors and modelers enjoy the accuracy of all their products.

Trainworx sells their products both through tradional retail channels as well as directly by phone order. When asked "What prompted you to found Trainworx?", Pat Sanders responded "There was a freight car that hadn't been done in N scale that I just had to have and it didn't look like anyone was ever going to make it."