Announcement Dented gons 2

Bluford Shops products are not intended for children under 14.

This month, Bluford Shops is happy to announce our second group of N scale Factory Dented 52’6” Mill Gondolas. As with the first group (currently in production) these models feature diecast floors for superior tracking and plastic sides, ends, draft gear, body bolsters and additional brake gear. The cars come standard with our metal wheels and magnetically operating knuckle couplers.

The Lightly Dented versions have multiple deflections in the side sheets above the floor line. The Medium Dented versions have the side sheets visibly puffed outward between the rivet lines as countless small dings to the inside faces accumulated and stretched the sheets into rough domes. The Heavily Dented versions also have the puffed out panels but to a greater extent – plus many of the ribs have also been deflected outward. The concave dent detail on the inside faces matches the convex outside faces.

Car ends and brake equipment vary based on prototype. Interiors have a rust effect finish. Each road name will be available in 6 road numbers – 2 each of lightly dented, medium dented and heavily dented versions. Minimum Radius: 9.75”. MSRP is $37.95 each. Pre-orders will remain open at least until November 25. Delivery is expected in 2025.

Products bearing Missouri-Kansas-Texas marks are made under trademark license from Union Pacific Railroad Company.

Burlington Northern inherited this fleet of mill gons from predecessor Chicago Burlington & Quincy. We present them here in the original Cascade Green paint scheme with the large BN “wrenches” logos, ACI tags and 2-box format consolidated stencils. The cars were equipped with fixed Dreadnaught ends, Ajax brake housings and IP80 brakewheels.

52100 Burlington Northern lightly dented #BN 558048

52101 Burlington Northern lightly dented #BN 558203

Go to the Previous N Scale Batch...

NEW TOOLING in N Scale.

The second group of 52'6" 15-Panel DENTED Mill Gondolas.

52104 Burlington Northern medium dented #BN 558172

52105 Burlington Northern medium dented #BN 558095

52107 Burlington Northern heavily dented #BN 558120

52108 Burlington Northern heavily dented #BN 558254

Detroit Toledo & Ironton took delivery of this group of gondolas in 1957 from Pullman Standard. DT&I opted for the narrower style ribs such as those used by Greenville and other builders rather than Pullman’s new wider ribs. However, Pullman fixed ends were used. These cars also used Ajax brakes with IP80 brakewheels.

52110 Detroit Toledo & Ironton lightly dented #DTI 9363

52111 Detroit Toledo & Ironton lightly dented #DTI 9326

52114 Detroit Toledo & Ironton medium dented #DTI 9385

52115 Detroit Toledo & Ironton medium dented #DTI 9307

52117 Detroit Toledo & Ironton heavily dented #DTI 9349

52118 Detroit Toledo & Ironton heavily dented #DTI 9372

Erie was the first railroad to adopt this design of mill gondola, developing it in cooperation with Greenville Steel Car in 1940. Ironically, this 800 car batch came not from Greenville but from Bethlehem over the winter of 1946-1947. Like Erie’s earlier batches, these came with Dreadnaught drop ends and lever action hand brakes.

52120 Erie lightly dented #ERIE 11436

52121 Erie lightly dented #ERIE 11022

52124 Erie medium dented #ERIE 11685

52125 Erie medium dented #ERIE 11740

52127 Erie heavily dented #ERIE 11153

52128 Erie heavily dented #ERIE 11307

Louisville & Nashville inherited this fleet of gondolas in the split of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois between L&N and Missouri Pacific. Since the portion of the line going to MP would continue to be known as Chicago & Eastern Illinois, Louisville & Nashville quickly repainted most of their portion of the C&EI freight car fleet. These cars had fixed Dreadnaught ends and Ajax IP80 brakewheels.

52130 Louisville & Nashville lightly dented #L&N 174102

52131 Louisville & Nashville lightly dented #L&N 174126

52134 Louisville & Nashville medium dented #L&N 174130

52135 Louisville & Nashville medium dented #L&N 174118

52137 Louisville & Nashville heavily dented #L&N 174104

52138 Louisville & Nashville heavily dented #L&N 174127

Missouri-Kansas-Texas took delivery of this group of mill gons from Greenville in 1967 as part of President John W. Barriger’s effort to update Katy’s freight car fleet. The gons, including their roller bearing trucks, were painted Barriger Red (formerly known as Deramus Red) and equipped with fixed Dreadnaught ends and the familiar combination of Ajax brake housing and IP80 brakewheels.

52140 Missouri-Kansas-Texas red lightly dented #MKT 12227

52141 Missouri-Kansas-Texas red lightly dented #MKT 12036

52144 Missouri-Kansas-Texas red medium dented #MKT 12383

52145 Missouri-Kansas-Texas red medium dented #MKT 12105

52147 Missouri-Kansas-Texas red heavily dented #MKT 12249

52148 Missouri-Kansas-Texas red heavily dented #MKT 12398

When Norfolk & Western acquired the Nickel Plate Road through merger in 1964, a considerable fleet of mill gondolas came with them. N&W had already adopted the “Hamburger” N&W logo and began applying them to the NKP gon fleet as they came due for repainting and renumbering. During this period, only gondolas received this wonky version of the NORFOLK AND WESTERN billboard lettering (note the strange R’s, K and S.) This group of gons had fixed Carbuilders ends with Ajax brake housings and IP80 brakewheels.

52150 Norfolk & Western lightly dented #N&W 275352

52151 Norfolk & Western lightly dented #N&W 275073

52154 Norfolk & Western medium dented #N&W 275484

52155 Norfolk & Western medium dented #N&W 275195

52157 Norfolk & Western heavily dented #N&W 275221

52158 Norfolk & Western heavily dented #N&W 275207

Pere Marquette took delivery of this batch of gondolas from Greenville in 1944. PM served the Chicago-Detroit-Buffalo corridor and the heavy industry therein and later became the Pere Marquette District of the Chesapeake & Ohio. These gons were equipped with Dreadnaught style drop ends and lever action handbrakes.

52160 Pere Marquette lightly dented #PM 18863

52161 Pere Marquette lightly dented #PM 18932

52164 Pere Marquette medium dented #PM 18885

52165 Pere Marquette medium dented #PM 18901

52167 Pere Marquette heavily dented #PM 18898

52168 Pere Marquette heavily dented #PM 18927

Western Pacific greatly increased their steel business during the Second World War when large steel mills opened on the east end of the railroad in Utah. This particular batch of mill gons was built by Greenville in 1949 equipped with Dreadnaught drop ends and Ajax 3059 side mounted brakewheels. About 50 of these cars were still in revenue service at the time of the merger with Union Pacific.

52170 Western Pacific lightly dented #WP 6674

52171 Western Pacific lightly dented #WP 6738

52174 Western Pacific medium dented #WP 6609

52175 Western Pacific medium dented #WP 6763

52177 Western Pacific heavily dented #WP 6615

52178 Western Pacific heavily dented #WP 6797

Wabash built this group of mill gondolas in their own Decatur Shops in 1954 using Dreadnaught drop ends and lever action handbrakes. The last of these cars still wearing this paint scheme was retired by Wabash successor Norfolk Southern at the end of 1990.

52180 Wabash lightly dented #WAB 12744

52181 Wabash lightly dented #WAB 12706

52184 Wabash medium dented #WAB 12682

52185 Wabash medium dented #WAB 12720

52187 Wabash heavily dented #WAB 12657

52188 Wabash heavily dented #WAB 12739

Lightly Dented.

Medium Dented.

Heavily Dented.

This view depicts the Dreadnaught fixed ends with the Ajax brake housing and IP80 brake wheel. This is the detail arrangement used on the BN, L&N and MKT cars above.

Bottom view of the typical magnitude of the Light dents.

Couplers have been omitted in this view. Production cars have magnetically operating knuckle couplers.

Bottom view of the typical magnitude of the Medium dents.

This view depicts the PS drop end with the Ajax side mounted 3059 brake wheel.

Bottom view of the typical magnitude of the Heavy dents.

Note the deformed ribs on these Heavily Dented cars.

Concave interior dents match the convex dents on the outside face.

This view depicts the Carbuilders drop end with the Ajax side mounted 3059 brake wheel.

The two sample cars seen here were hand built from test shots without the benefit of the assembly fixtures that will be used in regular production. So, pardon my slightly wonky corners.