Sir, I have to say, this video is very informative and interesting to watch. I'm a german myself and I love watching videos about railroads and trains of the american midwest.
Very awesome documentary I never knew how much Narrow Gauge actually existed in Colorado and Utah and New Mexico I live in Utah I remember seeing Rio Grande diesels when I was a kid I always love the Rio Grande and their narrow gauges particularly interesting I've seen more archive footage in this one video that I've ever seen of the Denver and Rio Grande Western very cool
Perhaps pronunciation is different in the west than in the east. Gondola in the eastern railroads is pronounced gon-DOH-la (long O sound like Homer Simpson saying it).
You mentioned that the Denver and Rio Grande and the Denver and Rio Grande Western ways used gondolas to haul iron, ore, steel and pipes... So when did the term change to being called coal hoppers? I've grown up calling the coal cars hoppers and the raised flats as gondolas. I'm confused here. My model train cars are even labeled as gondolas and hoppers, which is why I ask when was the term changed? Or is that just an oversight?
It was not a change in terminology - it was a change in car design. Most gon-doe'-lahs have flat bottoms. Any form of aggregate [coal, gravel, sand, etc] had to be unloaded by shoveling it out manually [later by machine.] The Colorado narrow gauge RRs upgraded to "drop bottom" gondolas which could be dumped by dropping the floors. "Hopper cars" were still a later design in which pockets [hoppers] were built into the bottoms of the cars with doors that could be opened to discharge the contents. After that came the "bathtub gondola" which increased the cubic foot capacity while lowering the center of gravity. Bathtub gons are unloaded by a large machine which grips the car and turns it over to dump the contents.
WOW This commentator is par-excellent! No wonder they chose him for this! Thkx Brother FANTASTIC JOB!
This us easily the most informative video on narrow gauge gondolas that I’ve ever seen. Beautiful work! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Well done!
Excellent Story and Narration ! Well done ....And very appreciated !! Hope to see more of this type of Info on D&RGW Narrow Gauge lines ! Thanks
These presentations are just excellent. Thank you for doing them!!!
Sir, I have to say, this video is very informative and interesting to watch. I'm a german myself and I love watching videos about railroads and trains of the american midwest.
Great video, I model Great Northern in Montana and get lots of good info from this channel
This was very interesting! Amazing the history attached to one type of car.
Love these videos, keep it up!
Very awesome documentary I never knew how much Narrow Gauge actually existed in Colorado and Utah and New Mexico I live in Utah I remember seeing Rio Grande diesels when I was a kid I always love the Rio Grande and their narrow gauges particularly interesting I've seen more archive footage in this one video that I've ever seen of the Denver and Rio Grande Western very cool
Perhaps pronunciation is different in the west than in the east. Gondola in the eastern railroads is pronounced gon-DOH-la (long O sound like Homer Simpson saying it).
I'm from the northeast and had the same thought.
You mentioned that the Denver and Rio Grande and the Denver and Rio Grande Western ways used gondolas to haul iron, ore, steel and pipes... So when did the term change to being called coal hoppers?
I've grown up calling the coal cars hoppers and the raised flats as gondolas. I'm confused here.
My model train cars are even labeled as gondolas and hoppers, which is why I ask when was the term changed? Or is that just an oversight?
It was not a change in terminology - it was a change in car design. Most gon-doe'-lahs have flat bottoms. Any form of aggregate [coal, gravel, sand, etc] had to be unloaded by shoveling it out manually [later by machine.] The Colorado narrow gauge RRs upgraded to "drop bottom" gondolas which could be dumped by dropping the floors. "Hopper cars" were still a later design in which pockets [hoppers] were built into the bottoms of the cars with doors that could be opened to discharge the contents. After that came the "bathtub gondola" which increased the cubic foot capacity while lowering the center of gravity. Bathtub gons are unloaded by a large machine which grips the car and turns it over to dump the contents.
So what happend to C,F&I? Are the company still around or is everything gone
Probably desolved and broken up due to us law and regulations against monopolies.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1990 and taken over by Crane Corp. in 1993. Look up the info by typing in CF&I.
CF&I is alive and well. Now known as Evraz N.A.
Fun fact: being coupled in between trains still happens but with conductors instead
Quite an interesting interpretation of “fun”