On page 19C of the Society's stenciling book, there is a diagram for a 17000 class gondola with the solid sides removed, leaving only the bracing. Were these cars used for pulpwood service, and does anyone know thw numbers of the cars rebuilt in this manner? Thanks, Tom Holley

-- Tom Holley (TH498@aol.com), August 16, 2004

Answers

>>I haven't seen any photos of this group as gondolas (#17001-17200) either. I do know that in 1934 & 1936 only 74 were kept as gondolas. They became steel sided (1939 & 40) and the sides were cut down to 2ft 5ins and renumbered to (16551-16625) low-side gons.<<

I've been trying to figure these out as well.

According to my interpretation of the ORER data the first 25 gons had been cut down to low sided cars by 1935 and were numbered between 16551 and 16625, but 175 from the original series were still high sided cars in 1935.

Aidrian

-- Aidrian Bridgeman-Sutton (smokeandsteam@san.rr.com), August 17, 2004.

I haven't seen any photos of this group as gondolas (#17001-17200) either. I do know that in 1934 & 1936 only 74 were kept as gondolas. They became steel sided (1939 & 40) and the sides were cut down to 2ft 5ins and renumbered to (16551-16625) low-side gons. Some of the original gons (#17001-17200) were cut down to pulpwood cars (#10861-10935) in Sept. 1939 till May 1940, which I have several shots of this group. Another 39 of the original gons were rebuilt into 41ft 50ton steel flats (#ed 11101-11140). This was also done in 39, 40 and 1941. My 1949 Equipment Register shows only 11 cars in use of the 16551- 16625 "low side gons". The 17001-17200 group as shown in your diagram book must have been very short lived or done to only some cars while the bulk of the group was in Macon being converted into the 10861-10935 group. I hope this helps some. Most of this info comes from a May 5, 1954 Freight Equipment book I have. Don Worthy

-- Don Worthy (worthy57@accucomm.net), August 17, 2004.