Re: A gondola question for drgwcarman - 1161
| July 27, 2014 04:48PM |
John,
Thanks for the information. It is neat to have all of the details about the Fair Gons.
As for D&RGW 1161, it was sold to the scrapper by the D&RGW and then sold again out of Chama in the early 1970's and ended up in Alva Oklahoma.
As seen here in July of 2013, 1161 is the only Rio Grande narrow gauge freight car I have come across with the Symington journal boxes and lids, which were on the "A" end truck along with some very good wheels dated in the 1940's. Unfortunetly, the car encountered something that took a big chunk out of one of the outside wheels and destroyed the journal boxes. The car's last air date was late 1967, so it stayed in service until the end.
I acquired 1161 from Wayne Kinzie in June. I had hoped to move the car intact, but it was too far gone, the only solid part of the frame was a 16' section of one center sill that I saved to be made into new endsills. Even the train line (air pipe) was under tension and helping to support the sagging, rotten car - as I made the first cut into it, it separated with an audible thunk and the ends jumped apart a few inches, which was a first for me.
1161 is now in Kansas awaiting reconstruction. It is seen here as it looks today. I'm not sure I possess the skills, finances or patience to completely rebuild a car but I am going to do it anyway. Whatever I rebuild it into will be a shorter car than it was (24' vs 32') and will use all of 1161's metal parts, as well as its needle beams and the aforementioned sidesill chunks.
More parts of a build your own car kit awaiting re-use. Grandt Line HOn3 kits are sure a heck of a lot easier!
Jason Midyette
Thanks for the information. It is neat to have all of the details about the Fair Gons.
As for D&RGW 1161, it was sold to the scrapper by the D&RGW and then sold again out of Chama in the early 1970's and ended up in Alva Oklahoma.
As seen here in July of 2013, 1161 is the only Rio Grande narrow gauge freight car I have come across with the Symington journal boxes and lids, which were on the "A" end truck along with some very good wheels dated in the 1940's. Unfortunetly, the car encountered something that took a big chunk out of one of the outside wheels and destroyed the journal boxes. The car's last air date was late 1967, so it stayed in service until the end.
I acquired 1161 from Wayne Kinzie in June. I had hoped to move the car intact, but it was too far gone, the only solid part of the frame was a 16' section of one center sill that I saved to be made into new endsills. Even the train line (air pipe) was under tension and helping to support the sagging, rotten car - as I made the first cut into it, it separated with an audible thunk and the ends jumped apart a few inches, which was a first for me.
1161 is now in Kansas awaiting reconstruction. It is seen here as it looks today. I'm not sure I possess the skills, finances or patience to completely rebuild a car but I am going to do it anyway. Whatever I rebuild it into will be a shorter car than it was (24' vs 32') and will use all of 1161's metal parts, as well as its needle beams and the aforementioned sidesill chunks.
More parts of a build your own car kit awaiting re-use. Grandt Line HOn3 kits are sure a heck of a lot easier!
Jason Midyette
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.