For a birthday gift, my dad recently surprised me with a set of RMI archbar trucks and couple of very nice steel frames from Capt. John Boots of Big Boots and Western Railroad. This immediately inspired me to throw together a freelance design 2.5″ scale gondola riding car to eventually be pulled by my shay.

I welded on two steel stringers down the length of the frame to help provide support for the poplar slats which were run through a router table to create lap joints.

Ash wood beams lined the outside of the frame and then each wooden slat was screwed to the steel.

After a trip to Lowes for some exterior paint closely matching early D&RGW rolling stock color, I brushed on multiple coats to properly seal the woodwork.

Stakes made of poplar were bolted to the sides (through the wooden beams and the steel frame) and then side and end boards were built up.

I used white transfer paper (similar to carbon paper) to trace letters and then with white enamel I hand painted the road name on the sides.

I purchased a 3D printer and designed stake pockets that slip over the bases of the stakes and cover the recessed bolts holding them to the frame. I learned quickly that 3-D printers are slow! It took about 36 hours to print all 14 stake pockets required for the gondola. Once installed and painted, it is difficult to tell that they are made of plastic and not cast iron. I even created square head bolts and washers into the one-piece design.

I found a very nice open-source 3D file for an early D&RGW brake wheel online and printed it out too. I also designed a brake wheel pawl and gear as well as the brake bracket to attach it all to the end beam. 3D printed truss rod square nuts and beveled washers help to finish off the ends of the gondola.

Since the frame of the gondola is already very sturdy, real working truss rods aren’t needed so I made up some to look the part.

Hand grab irons were forged from 3/16″ steel rod.

A pair of folding seats and short non-swiveling posts from Bass Pro Shops provide nearly first-class comfort in this open air riding car.

All in all, this was a fun project and I can hardly wait to start working on the second car frame, which just might become a double-decker stock car.