PRR / PC Shops G43 Class Corrugated Side Gondola

The Pennsylvania Railroad and merger successor Penn Central built a total of 3,750 G43 / G43A / G43B / G43C gondolas at the Sam Rea Shops in Hollidaysburg PA from 1966 to 1970, the largest gondola fleet built by Sam Rea or any carbuilding shop in the 1960s. In other words, these cars are highly relevant! The G43 gondolas were a modern fleet of 100-ton mill gondolas with 52’6” interior length, with different design configurations for various customer applications. The G43 fleet was built to replace older gondolas with a rugged design suitable for mill (steel products), scrap, and aggregate services. Additionally, many were modified during the Conrail era with coil “racks” to transport uncovered steel coils. Many served NS and CSXT in the post-Conrail era in various services including coil service, as well as other revenue and MOW services. Some cars were sold to the secondary market with leasing firm reporting marks.

All of the G43 series gondolas are easily identified by their side corrugations. The similarities end there; each of the G43 sub-classes are visually distinctive from one another. The PRR G43 and early PC G43A cars have corrugations in every panel on the side of the car, and they have dreadnaught ends.

With more than 3,750 prototypes placed into service which saw nationwide service hauling many commodities, the Tangent Scale Models HO-scale replica is a perfect addition to your layout or collection. The Tangent Scale Models PRR/PC Shops G43 Class Corrugated Side Gondola model is a state of the art, dimensionally-accurate scale replica that was tooled to Penn Central plans and verified with field measurements. Our model comes with highly accurate “true-to-life” colors and “hyper-accurate” lettering including exact stenciling, fonts, and lettering placement. Our PRR/PC Shops G43 Class Corrugated Side Gondola system of models offers three detail variations and phases to replicate the many different PRR/PC Shops offerings. A quick synopsis of our era- and railroad-specific detail variations include:

Features for our RTR replicas include:

• Dimensional accuracy – designed from actual Sam Rea blueprints and verified with field measurements

• Highly correct “true to life” colors

• “Hyper-Accurate” lettering including exact fonts and lettering placement – compare our replicas to the prototype photos!

• Genuine Kadee scale couplers

• “Near-scale” draft gear box with beautifully-rendered side “key” detail

• 3 specific production variations that highlight production from 1966-1970, including different bodies, interiors, with or without coil racks, different underframes, different ends

• “See through” brake steps

• Lacy details – wire grab irons, coupler lift bars, and stand-off ladders and stirrup steps

• Separate air hoses

• CNC-machined 36” wheels (with semi-scale replacement wheels available separately)

• All-New precision Tangent Scale Models 100-ton Barber S-2 Granite City foundry trucks with prototype-specific rotating bearing caps

• Separate truck brake beam part

• Recommended age 14 years and older

Conrail (CR) “1988 G43B Coil Svc.” Gondola With Coil Racks (Coils Not Included)

• Product: PRR / PC Shops G43 Class Gondola

• Scale: HO Scale 1:87.1

• Truck: All-New precision Tangent Scale Models 100-ton Barber S-2 Granite City foundry trucks with prototype-specific rotating bearing caps and separate brake beam part

• Wheels: CNC-Machined 36″ Wheels

Conrail (CR) “1988 G43B Coil Svc.” With Coil Racks – Coils Not Included in the now-classic Conrail red paint.  This series represents the former PC-painted G43B series.  Conrail maintained the lettering locations that PC did, painting the Conrail reporting marks, road number, and Conrail can opener logo in the same locations PC had stenciled them.  The G43B prototype features cushion draft gear, giving the model a distinctive look compared to the other G43 classes.  The top chord of the car has a “COIL STEEL LOADING ONLY” stencil to remind customers and railroad officers that the car is equipped with coil racks.  Our model has coil racks too, and we sell beautifully executed steel coils for this car separately.  We recommend a load of four coils if you want to replicate most prototype loading patterns – for the size of coil we created.  Yes, we did the math.  These Conrail coil service gondolas are offered in 12 road numbers and feature details appropriate for these 1969-built cars.

Looking for more Tangent Scale Models Gondolas? Click here!