52’-6” “Greenville Gondola” for Western Pacific

The Western Pacific received their first 100 cars of of the ‘cloned Greenville Gon”, a design that evolved from the original 1940 A.M.C. design, from Mt. Vernon Car Manufacturing Company in October of 1945, under Lot 10081, and assigned road numbers as Series 6501-6600.  These first cars came with standard Dreadnaught ends and wood floors.

In June of 1949, the WP ordered an additional 200 cars of the same design from Greenville Steel Car Co under O.O. 527.  These were assigned Series numbers 6601-6800.  These later cars came equipped with the new Improved Dreadnaught ends, Car builder door locks, and a side mounted Ajax Power hand brake with an Apex brake step; a steel plate riveted floor and 28 folding stake pockets inside and 32 welded tie-down clips on the outside, plus the standard 1-1’4” chamfered tie-down rope/cable holes in the top chord.

When delivered the cars were painted black with aluminum stencil paste lettering and a very noticeable painted triangle of international orange on two opposite corners.  By 1958, the cars were repainted still in black, but with the W.P.’s Armour Yellow lettering and the orange corners were dropped.  Both decal sets are available at Protocraft Decals.

The Protocraft model is the 6601-6800 Series