Transports: Heavy bulk commodities including scrap metal, aggregates, logs, lumber, steel, sand, copper, and iron ore. Gondolas are sturdy cars with low sidewalls and open tops. Imagine a boxcar cut in half horizontally, and you’ve got yourself a gondola.
Gondola Railcars are a type of rail vehicle that can be used to transport large volumes and high-density cargo on railroad tracks. The low sides make them ideal for loading and transporting steel plates, coils, and bulky items.
Gondola cars can hold up to 1000 lbs per square foot, which is about 150 times more than what’s typically found in other passenger trains. These low-sided wagons have been around since 1825 when they were invented by Scotsman Robert Fergusson, who set out his design specifications as follows: “Its sides should be very light so that it moves easily on its rails with little noise being produced.”
More about Railroad Car types.
