Gondola Paint Job Nears Completion

The B&O 350370 50-ton Drop-end Gondola Painting and Lettering project is near completion. The gondola has made its trip from Tunnelton to Belington. It has been cleaned up (kind of), "sand" blasted and painted.

The car was sandblasted by Brandon Smith and Matthew Riggleman and painted by Smith. Both are shop employees of the D&GV RR. The job was contracted out.

The lettering is almost done. Only an hour of two of work remains for Kenny Hickman, shown here. He is the owner of Hickman GrafX in Philippi and is waiting for a dry and reletively warm day (or a chance to get the gon back into the WVC Belington Engine House) to complete the vinyl lettering job. The car was

The car's data and end reporting marks have yet to be placed. There was a break in the application process while some to the data was compiled and the car had to taken out of the engine house to allow for some D&GV RR work to be done on equipment. The paint scheme reflects the early and mid 1950's.

Thanks goes out Randy Anderson who gave the Museum diagrams and lettering information on B&O drop-end gons. Additional photos of the B&O Keyser shop product can be found in the projects folder on the web site.

The car still needs a lot of work on the brake system and wheel axle bearings before it can be readily moved and used in photo freights. It's just one step away from final restoration by the Museum.

Funds sent in by Museum supporters and railfans allowed the car to be saved from an angry town mayor and moved to the Belington Yard where it was cleaned and painted.

Photo - Lars Byrne