Tangent Scale Models is happy to announce a new release of our HO Scale PRR/PC Shops Class G43 Corrugated Side 52’6” 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 steam-era gondolas with a rugged design suitable for mill, 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 and have dreadnaught ends. The later G43A / G43B / G43C cars have no corrugations in the outward two panels, and are outfitted with DSI (Despatch Shops, Inc., Rochester NY) corrugated ends. These DSI ends applied to a PRR car are one of the first examples of car building cooperation for the newly-formed Penn Central – cooperation between the former NYC and PRR shops. While G43/G43A cars had steel floors and conventional draft gear, the G43B cars introduced wood floors and cushion draft gear. The G43C subclass, built in 1970, were the last series of cars and returned to steel floors and conventional draft gear.
This is not just a single gondola model, but instead a system of gondolas. The Tangent Scale Models G43 series offering follows the prototype variations. We have produced three side configurations, two end configurations, and four floor configurations, including two with coil “racks” installed to haul steel coils (which we are also now selling as separate parts). Our G43 is perfectly scaled from actual PRR/PC drawings. We have captured the look of the side corrugations, and these models incorporate full interior detailing including the side corrugations. Finally, our cars are equipped with 100-ton trucks, “spinning” roller bearing caps, and correct CNC-machined 36” wheels to give these gons a “beefy” modern look. Our cars have a proper depth floor, and are outfitted with Kadee® scale couplers, so the cars operate as well as they look! Finally, models of the PRR/PC G43 series gondolas have never been available before in plastic, brass, or resin.
Our November 2021 release includes these seven paint schemes (6 new and one rerun), available for purchase today!
– Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) “Original 11-1966 G43” in the original Pennsylvania Railroad scheme with the plain keystone on the G43 configuration body. The PRR reporting marks, road number, and PRR keystone are on three placards, just like the prototype. This was done so that this stenciling was applied to a flat surface, and not the corrugations. This car looks stunning in the proper PRR freight car red, which nicely compliments the Tangent PRR G31B gondolas for a “family appearance.” This G43 replica is equipped with conventional draft gear and the 100-Ton Barber S-2 trucks feature “Brenco-6” caps, matching the PRR prototype. Many PRR cars lasted well into the Penn Central and Conrail eras – modelers take note! Also, check out our website for examples of these cars faraway from PRR rails. These are not just for East Coast modelers! This PRR series with accurate November 1966 build dates is available now in 6 all-new road numbers.
– PC “Delivery G43A 2-1968” in the original Penn Central green paint scheme, and a PC version we have not yet offered! These gorgeous models have 2 placards in place for the PC reporting marks, road numbers, and ACI label on the left side of the car. On the right side is an additional placard that includes a PC logo and Penn Central lettering. These placards are utilized on this class of PC car since these cars have side corrugations on each panel, where they knew that putting paint on the corrugations would not last very long! These cars have corrugated ends, and the Tangent replica includes oxide red car interiors – on the interior walls and ends – like the prototype. We even duplicated the slight green overspray on the inside end corners! The 100-Ton trucks feature accurate rotating “Timken” caps. These beautiful cars are available with 12 road numbers. Don’t miss out!
– Conrail (CR) “G43A Repaint 1980” in the classic Conrail red paint scheme. This series represents the former PC-painted G43A series. Conrail retained the placards that were present on these original PC-painted cars from 12 years before. The Conrail reporting marks and road number are on the same three placards that PRR used, following the PC practices. Conrail then made new placards for the Conrail can opener logo and the two COTS panels, making a total of six placards on this model, on each side! The 100-Ton Barber S-2 trucks are equipped with rotating “Timken” caps and feature CR reporting marks and car number stenciling on the truck side frame, just like the prototype. This Conrail model is a true mill gondola, meaning it is not designated for coil steel loading; it has a steel floor. These Conrail mill gondolas are offered in 12 all-new road numbers and feature details appropriate for the 1968-built car. SKUs 01 through 06 have a shop date of 5-80, while SKUs -07 through -12 feature an 8-80 shop date.
– Conrail (PRR) “CR 1984+” is a “number paint out” offering so 1980s modelers have a restencil option to augment their native Conrail cars. These cars are painted in the original Pennsylvania Railroad scheme with the plain keystone on the G43 configuration body, but it has a restenciled road number, likely to make it legible when it was weathered after 18 years of service. The reporting mark placard also has Conrail program and shop codes, better identifying it as a car shopped in 1984. Check out that CR-applied metal plate for the COTS panel, faithfully replicated on this model. See our website for a photo of this neat car! Many PRR cars lasted well into the Penn Central and Conrail eras – this Conrail era mill gondola is offered with one road number option.
– 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.
– Norfolk Southern (NS) “GP44 Repaint 1999+” With Coil Racks – Coils Not Included offers one of the rare Norfolk Southern repaint cars, a perfect car for mixing and matching with your “much more common” Conrail cars. These class GP44 cars were painted in the typical NS black gondola in 1999 complete with the NS logo stenciling in white, placed on a large rectangular placard in the middle of the car. 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. This NS gondola includes details appropriate for this 1970-built car, including “Timken” roller bearing caps on 100-Ton trucks. This beauty is available with one road number!
– Norfolk Southern (NS) “GP44 Repaint 2010+” With Coil Racks – Coils Not Included offers one of the rare Norfolk Southern repaint cars, a perfect car for mixing and matching with your “much more common” Conrail cars. This version of the NS car has different stenciling than the GP44 1999+ car offered in this run, and has yellow conspicuity striping to duplicate the car’s appearance in the years 2010 and beyond. Careful attention has been paid to the conspicuity striping – each side is different in the logo panel area for example – and includes a repainted NS logo on one side of the car! Like the 1999+ car we offer in this run, these class GP44 cars include 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. This NS gondola includes details appropriate for this 1970-built car. This beauty is available with one road number!
Want to build your own? Don’t worry. We are also releasing SIX undecorated kits to handle all of the variations of these PRR/PC Shops prototype cars. Each kit includes specifically-matching PRR/PC Shops body parts! Here is our listing of six variations:
– PRR G43 / PC G43A Early 1966+
– PC G43B 1969+
– PC G43C 1970+
– PRR G43 / PC G43A Early w/ Coil Rack 1966+
– PC G43B w/ Coil Rack 1969+
– PC G43C w/ Coil Rack 1970+
All of these models – and prototype images – can be seen at www.tangentscalemodels.com !
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:
- 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
- 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. Sell off the toy trains – we do freight cars right
- “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
- 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
- Separate truck brake beam part
- Recommended age 14 years and older
With accurate roadname and era-specific details, genuine Kadee couplers, and all-metal wheels, Tangent Scale Models provides you with a high-value model that will provide you with years of enjoyment and curb-appeal. Pricing for all RTR models in this release is $48.95, with quantity discounts for direct purchases from Tangent Scale Models.
That wraps up our update for today, and thank you for supporting the family-owned businesses in our industry!
David Lehlbach
Tangent Scale Models