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Dented Gondola Cars
Rich models HO and asks:
“Recently watched several shallow gondolas go by, most of them were badly dented and ‘sway-backed’ in the middle. Probably scrap service or headed for scrap themselves. I remember a model train article about carefully using heat to warp and dent cars. Does anyone have suggestions of how to replicate this? Thanks”
2 Responses to Dented Gondola Cars
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I’ve done it, after removing the trucks and couplers, by using a heat gun to warm up the car. Then I made the distortions I wanted and used clamps or braces to keep the car from changing more as it cooled. Since I was making side bulges in a hopper car, I used a toothpick cut to length as a cross brace. One caution…be careful not to warp or twist the car or it may not ride properly.
Thanks Dale.Since I don’t have a large supply of rolling stock, I had thought about too much heat. I can see the sidewall bulges but what I wanted to replicate was a swaybacked look and I was worried whether car would track properly. I have an old gon that I have yet to redo the couplers and swap out wheels for metal. Perhaps a test subject.