Data from: www.drgw.org
D&RGW Series 28000-28199 Gondola
D&RGW Series 28200-28499 Gondola (Ex-RGW 5000-5299)
Capacity: 100,000 Lbs
Type: GA/GB*
Inside Length: 40’-00”
Cubic Feet: 1500
Builder: ACF L4557
Built: 9- 1907
Retired: <1951
Commodity: Coal, Gen Serv
Design Notes: SUF, fishbelly sill, composite sides, bottom dump
*some Rblt w/solid floor
From the PBL website
PBL Sn3 6500 series kit R-7 description of their 6500 series Sn3 model kit:
The "6500" Flat Cars were the largest flats used on the narrow gauge.. They were conjured up by the Grande's engineering department in the late thirties.. (The actual date on the erection drawings is 1/10/40..) The idea was to take "bad ordered" 28000 series Standard Gauge "Coal Cars", (Gondolas) and convert them into flatcars big enough to move tractors and other machinery over the narrow gauge on...
The method they used to do it was perhaps a bit unusual, but the end results, still around to this day, attest to the soundness of the plan, which was to
• De-Rivet the Side Sills;
• Cut the Bolsters and the cross members shorter;
• And put the side sills back in place, narrower than before...
The only flaw to this plan was that a car of this weight couldn't ride on the flimsy little 3'7" trucks the narrow gauge had used for so long, and there were no others available.. They had to design a new truck!
They called on their long time (Standard Gauge) supplier, the American Steel Foundry (ASF) to make them up some new trucks that would be up to the task... The date on the Truck Drawings was 4/40... It was to have a 4'11" Wheelbase, and be all cast steel, with non-removable journals...
PBL Sn3 ASF 4'-8" truck
Meanwhile, the shops were busy cranking out the modified "Coal Cars", now great long beasts of Narrow Gauge Flatcars.. And the trucks began to arrive just in time to hold these monstrosities up off the track.. A whopping 3'6" or so high to the tops of their decks!
By July of 1942, there were 20 of these cars in service, and the remainder of the early "6000" flats had completely disappeared from the roster...
D&RGW Authority for Expenditure 9237
February 1942
Description--Class 37--Freight Train Cars
Build 16 narrow gauge flat cars, 80 thousand pound capacity, 40 feet long, using second hand parts from like number of old standard gauge 28000 series cars which are worn out and will be retired. Cars to be numbered 6510 to 6524.
Purpose and Necessity:
This will provide suitable flat cars for handling heavy machinery moving over our narrow gauge lines. Present flat car equipment is not strong enough to handle such shipments. We now have 18 narrow gauge flat cars in 6000-6098 and 6100-6111 series, which are all wood construction, worn out, and should be retired.
Detailed Estimate -- One car
Additions
Appraised value of underframes, air brakes, decking, etc. from retired 28000 series cars - 15,000 pounds @ 2 cents per lb.
$300
Material (New)
Trucks complete $650
Steel, rivets, bolts, misc. $93
Total Materials $743
Store expense $59
shop expense $34
Labor $342
Shop expense $51
Payroll tax (RR & SS) 6% of $@393
Total Net Cost, one car: $1,553
Total New Cost 15 cars: $23,295
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2012 01:20PM by rod.
