{"product_id":"mth-20-98932-o-gauge-drg-w-55-ton-all-steel-drop-bottom-gondola-car-73310","title":"MTH 20-98932 O Gauge DRG\u0026W 55 Ton All Steel Drop Bottom Gondola Car #73310","description":"This is an MTH 20-98932 O Gauge DRG\u0026amp;W 55 Ton All Steel Drop Bottom Gondola Car #73310. While gondolas come in many lengths and types, their common denominator is extreme versatility. Almost any weatherproof cargo can and has been carried in gondolas, from coal to sugar beets to machinery to logs to telephone poles. A particularly versatile variation was the AAR (American Association of Railroads) Class GS, with drop bottom doors hinged along the center sill, enabling loose cargos to be unloaded by gravity to either side of the car. From the 1920s through the 1950s, class GS gons were built in large quantities, especially for western railroads that did not own large coal hopper fleets.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOur models, both the all-steel and composite wood and steel versions, are based on GS gondolas built for the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads in the mid to late 1940s. While the UP’s composite cars were built during the war to conserve steel, the SP ordered composite cars after the war to save weight when transporting lighter loads such as wood chips and sugar beets. Although composite cars were often rebuilt with steel sides, the Southern Pacific is known to have operated composite gondolas in beet service as late as the 1980s. Our superbly detailed models feature added-on ladders, corner steps and grab irons, as well as intricate, non-operating drop-bottom doors and door mechanisms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMTH Premier O Scale freight cars are the perfect complement to any manufacturer’s scale proportioned O Gauge locomotives. Whether you prefer to purchase cars separately or assemble a unit train, MTH Premier Rolling Stock has the cars for you in a variety of car types and paint schemes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVirtually every sturdy car is offered in two car numbers which makes it even easier than ever to combine them into a mult-car consist. Many of MTH’s Premier Rolling Stock offerings can also operate on the tightest O Gauge curves giving them even more added versatitlity to your layout.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDid You Know?\u003cbr\u003eThe name for gondola cars actually predates railroads. In the early 1800s, utilitarian flat-bottomed boats with low sides, used to transport coal down the Potomac River to the Washington D.C. area, were called gondolas as a spoof on the much fancier Venetian gondolas. Similarly shaped coal-carrying cars on early railroads earned the same moniker. As more specialized cars were invented for coal service, the gondola evolved into the general-purpose car it is today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIts key features are:\u003cbr\u003eIntricately detailed durable ABS body\u003cbr\u003eDetailed interior\u003cbr\u003eMetal wheels and axles\u003cbr\u003eDie-cast sprung metal 4-wheel trucks\u003cbr\u003eOperating die-cast metal couplers\u003cbr\u003eColorful, attractive paint schemes\u003cbr\u003eFast-angle wheel sets\u003cbr\u003eNeedle-point axles\u003cbr\u003eO scale Kadee compatible coupler mounting pads\u003cbr\u003e1:48 scale dimensions\u003cbr\u003eUnit measures: 11 1\/2'' x 2 5\/8'' x 2 1\/2''\u003cbr\u003eOperates on O-27 curves\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Factory New (\u003ca href=\"#\" title=\"C-9: All original; unused; factory rubs and evidence of handling, shipping and factory test run. Standards for all toy train related accessory items apply to the visual appearance of the item and do not consider the operating functionality of the equipment. Condition and Grading Standards are subjective, at best, and are intended to act as a guide.\"\u003eC-9\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOperational Status:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"#\" title=\"This item is brand new from the factory.\"\u003eFunctional\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOriginal Box:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes (\u003ca href=\"#\" title=\"May have store stamps and price tags. Has inner liners.\"\u003eP-9\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eManufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e MTH\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eModel Number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20-98932\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoad Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Denver \u0026amp; Rio Grande Western (DRGW)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScale\/Era:\u003c\/strong\u003e O Modern\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eModel Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Freight Cars \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Trainz SKU for this item is P11978261. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 6px !important; color: #d3d3d3 !important; line-height: 8px !important;\"\u003eTrainz Product Id: 11978261\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"MTH","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44016154574970,"sku":"P11978261","price":74.53,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1260\/4747\/files\/3587275.jpg?v=1751295409","url":"https:\/\/www.trainz.com\/products\/mth-20-98932-o-gauge-drg-w-55-ton-all-steel-drop-bottom-gondola-car-73310","provider":"Trainz","version":"1.0","type":"link"}