The gondola data sheet covers the USRA gondolas in detail. Walthers offered one as well, but it, and probably the intermountain model are the original side height. I don’t have a digital file of that data sheet, but I pasted in my notes
below.
CB&Q Class GA-15 Gondolas (USRA) 188000-188999
The 1,000 USRA gondolas assigned to the CB&Q were built by AC&F and delivered in 1919. They were classed GA-15 and assigned numbers 188000-188999. These gondolas were nine panel Howe truss design with a blank panel in the center of the
car. They had eight drop bottom doors, KC brakes, and Perfection lever action hand brakes. They were delivered with Andrews trucks. The 1922 order specified Wine door mechanism, and these cars were numbered 73000-74999.
About half of the GA-15 cars were rebuilt in 1927-28 with solid floors and four drop doors. The cars that were not converted were renumbered in the 164500-164999 series. These cars were rebuilt in 1935-36 by reducing the height of the sides
by 18 in. from the lower edge, thereby lowering capacity and derating the cars to 80,000 lb. The result was that the diagonal braces no longer met the vertical braces at the side sill. The original Murphy ends were replaced with Dreadnaught ends, and these
cars were numbered 88310-88311 and 88350-88949. These cars were officially assigned to the GT class, but the CB&Q referred to them as ‘the old class GS-15’. None of these cars remained on the ORER in 1953.
In 1942 the remaining GS-1 and GS-2 cars were cut down 15 in. from the bottom, and these cars were reclassified GT and renumbered 87000-87799. Of all the early CB&Q gondolas, these cars were the only ones to survive into the 1950s. There
had eight panels, so the USRA nine panel gondolas can’t be used to model these cars.
The only CB&Q gondolas that are available and survived to 1953 are the GS-5/7/8 gondolas available from Jerry Hamsmith (formerly available from Sunshine).
Nelson Moyer
From: CBQ@groups.io <CBQ@groups.io> On Behalf Of
Richard Gortowski via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2023 3:17 PM
To: CBQ groups.io <cbq@groups.io>
Subject: [CBQ] Intermountain GA 15 Gondola
Intermountain made the USRA composite drop bottom gondola in the 165000 to 167999 range. I thought I read those cars got reworked prior to 1950, but in the 1950 ORER it shows
that 2442 cars were in service, but it calls them by the preface GS instead of GA. with the description gondola, composite, wood floor.
The ORER also shows the series that the GS5/6/7 would be in, so I'm guessing that the drop bottom gondola would still be in use in 1950?