Another Ore car project. Cornwall Railroad Wooden Gondola's

Last year (2017), I started a project for a good friend and fellow Cornwall modeler Mark Cain. He model's Cornwall Railroad circa 1907. He always wanted to have models of the wooden ore cars used in his time period.  In order to gain car building knowledge, I am scratch build some prototypes of these cars (series 100-250) in HO scale (1:87.1). Mark had drawn a preliminary drawing, so I volunteered to build the prototypes and make the masters and molds. These wooden gondola were wood with iron hardware construction. They lasted into the early twenties and were retired in the late twenties. 

Regular type gondola Donaghmore Yard just south of the interchange with the Lebanon Valley RR (Reading) in Lebanon Pa. 

Hopper type gondola next to Ore Roasters. Cornwall Pa.

The cars are going to be constructed of styrene sheet material. Here are some photos of the models in process.

July 2017. There is a small mark on the metal square. I used this setup to make sure I had the correct height for the car. 

July 2017. You can see these cars sat very high. As a matter of fact we found an error on the drawing. This car is about seven scale inches too high.  

July 2017. Drawing and paper pattern installed for Hopper.

May 2018. Hopper needs doors applied. Currently trying to figure out brake rigging before adding the sides to the top. 

May 2018. Side Board for hopper type left. Side board for regular gondola right. Stakes for sideboard and stake pockets also shown.