PRR Class G24 - 40' U.S.R.A. composite & all steel gondolas

Diagram of PRR class G24-wood
G24-wood

General information:

The G24 gondolas are steel framed 50 ton United States Railroad Administration ("U.S.R.A.") design 50 ton steel framed wood composite construction gondola cars. The PRR received 750 of these cars in total, (500 from lines west, 50 from the GR&I and 200 from the LIRR.) 200 of the lines west's cars were transferred to the LIRR in late 1924. All were transferred back to the PRR by 1940. All of the cars were rebuilt with steel sides starting around 1930. By 1937 all cars were converted. Some cars also had their ends replaced. The cars were built with K brakes but were later retrofitted with AB brakes and some of the rebuilt cars ran into the 60's with one car still on the roster as late as 1963.

Edward M. Koehler Jr. sent me the following information about the LIRR's U.S.R.A gondolas many of which were purchased from the PRR:
ClassLIRR NumbersBuilderLotDateDescription
GA1st 5500-5699Standard Steelunknown9/191950 ton Gondola
Cars 5500-5699 were sold to the Nashville, Chattanooga, & Saint Louis in 9/1/1929.
GA1st 5700-5736Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5737A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5738-5760Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5761A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5762-5769Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5770A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5771-5789Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5790A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5791-5894Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5794A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5795Standard Steelunknown8/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5796A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
Cars 5700-5796 were purchased during 1924 from the Pennsylvania Railroad where they had been owned by various subsidiaries. Cars 5700-5796 were formerly Pennsylvania Lines 775906, 775882, 775881, 751301, 751120, 775758, 751174, 751149, 751226, 775796, 775825, 775884, 751242, 751110, 775917, 751215, 775777, 775816, 751294, 751085, 751130, 751319, 775867, 751096, 751258, 751243, 751328, 775770, 751066, 775859, 751162, 751327, 775775, 751254, 751166, 751163, 751108, 882561, 775954, 751145, 751293, 751161, 775812, 751237, 751118, 775787, 775824, 751224, 751214, 751084, 751064, 751123, 751318, 775951, 751275, 751260, 751095, 751303, 775893, 751059, 751055, Grand River & Indiana 882543, Pennsylvania Lines 751253, 775910, 751305, 775837, 775848, 775771, 751213, 775764, Grand River & Indiana 882517, Pennsylvania Lines 775850, 775931, Cumberland & Pennsylvania 775851, Pennsylvania Lines 751227, Pennsylvania Railroad 751277, Cumberland & Pennsylvania 775877, Pennsylvania Lines 751234, 751094, 751151, Pennsylvania Railroad 751223, Pennsylvania Lines 775944, 775798, 751193, 751133, 775936, Pennsylvania Company 751311, Pennsylvania Lines 775855, Pennsylvania Railroad 751240, Pennsylvania Lines 751271, Grand River and Indiana 882548, Pennsylvania Railroad 775871, Pennsylvania Lines 775857, 771287, Grand River & Indiana 882529, Pennsylvania Company 751075, Grand River and Indiana 882522, Pennsylvania Lines 751070, 775962, 751177, 751200, 751050, 775889, 751217, 751203, 751137, Grand River & Indiana 882546, Pennsylvania Lines 751261, Pennsylvania Railroad 775921, Pennsylvania Lines 775827, 751205, 775782, 775967, 751140, 775772, 751167, 775763, 775879, 775865, 882535; respectively.
These cars were later reclassed G24. All of these cars were off of the LIRR roster by 1938.
GA1st 5797-5805Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5806A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5797-5899Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5819A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5820-5829Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5830A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5831-5834Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5835A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5836-5850Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5851A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5852-5860Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5861A.C.&F.unknown9/191950 ton Gondola
GA1st 5862-5899Standard Steelunknown8-9/191950 ton Gondola
Cars 5797-5899 were purchased during 1924 from the Pennsylvania Railroad where they had been owned by various subsidiaries. Cars 5797-5899 are formerly Pennsylvania Lines 751135, Cumberland & Pennsylvania 775930, Pennsylvania Lines 75119_, 775790, Pennsylvania Railroad 751276, Pennsylvania Lines 775957, Pennsylvania Railroad 751114, Cumberland & Pennsylvania 775760, Pennsylvania Railroad 775774, 775824, Grand River & Indiana 882545, Pennsylvania Lines 751209, 751180, 775828, Cumberland & Pennsylvania 775839, Grand River and Indiana 882557, Pennsylvania Lines 775940, 751156, 775845, Cumberland & Pennsylvania 775873, Pennsylvania Lines 775843, Pennsylvania Railroad 751325, Pennsylvania Lines 751062, 751296, Pennsylvania Railroad 751057, Cumberland & Pennsylvania 775899, Pennsylvania Railroad 775913, Pennsylvania Lines 751090, 751232, 751211, 775817, Grand River and Indiana 883535, Pennsylvania Railroad 751089, Pennsylvania Lines 775914, Pennsylvania Company 751122, Pennsylvania Lines 751098, Pennsylvania Railroad 751228, Pennsylvania Lines 775933, Pennsylvania Railroad 775765, Pennsylvania Lines 751282, 775806, Grand River and Indiana 882557, Pennsylvania Lines 751251, 751263, 751136, 751115, 775900, 751212, 751117, 751280, 751138, 775795, Pennsylvania Railroad 751080, Pennsylvania Lines 775866, 751101, 751131, Pennsylvania Railroad 751278, Pennsylvania Lines 775792, Cumberland & Pennsylvania 775903, Pennsylvania Lines 751157, 751074, 775945, 775926, Cumberland & Pennsylvania 775779, Pennsylvania Lines 751071, Cumberland & Pennsylvania 775838, Pennsylvania Lines 751298, 751121, 775908, 775901, 751317, 775912, 775820, 775846, 775762, Pennsylvania Railroad 751206, Pennsylvania Lines 751060, 775844, 775788, and 751272; respectively; received by the LIRR 8-10/1924. These cars were later reclassed G24. All of these cars were off of the LIRR roster by 1938.

Here's a table compiled from various issues of the ORER tracing the quantity of G24's from their introduction on the PRR (and subsidiaries) through their eventual retirement. The transfer from the GR&I and to and from the LIRR can be seen as well as the rebuilding from composite drop bottom cars to steel sided tight bottom cars starting in 1930. The attrition in later years due to scrapping can also be seen. A few cars are unaccounted for in 1921 and 1924-1926.
        1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1952 1953 1958 1963 1968
PRR 351473 351873 steel                                     250 250 250 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 399 276 2    
PRR 751043 751329 steel                       27 121 140 140 169 180 179 178 178 178 178 178 178 178 178 178 178 178 178 178 178 177 133 4 1  
PRR 751043 751329 composite   287 287 287 287 287 180 180 180 180 180 153 59 40 40 11                                          
PRR 775755 775967 steel                       14 95 106 106 122 131 131 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 131 131 129 97      
PRR 775755 775967 composite   213 213 213 213 213 132 132 132 132 132 118 37 26 26 10                                          
PRR 882541 882563 steel                       7 29 35 35 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 28      
PRR 882541 882563 composite     10 21 36 41 33 37 38 38 38 31 9 3 3                                            
GR&I 2001 2050 composite   50 38 29 14 5                                                              
LIRR 5500 5899 steel                                 145 146 150 150 150                                
LIRR 5500 5899 composite   200 200 200 200 200 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 255 254                                      
Total number of cars   0 750 748 750 750 746 745 749 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 749 748 748 748 748 748 748 748 748 748 748 748 748 748 747 747 743 534 6 1 0

Some stats:

ClassG24G24
Diagram?yesyes
Model--
Comments-USRA
Capcy100,000100,000
Weight41,70043,300
Capcy box1,8261,770
Capcy heap293283
Sidessteelcomposite
Floor??
Endsfixedfixed
Sillstraightstraight
Underframestraightstraight
I.L.41' 6"41' 6"
I.W.9' 5-1/8"9' 1-5/8"
I.H4' 8-3/8"4' 8"
Truck center31' 10-1/231' 10-1/2
length over strikers42' 10-1/2"42' 8"
coupled length45' 4-1/2"45' 4-1/2"
panels99
height8' 3-1/5"8' 3-1/5"
width extreme10' 2-7/8" 10' 2-7/8"

Types of trucks used

ClassCarNumbersTruck ClassTruck NameQty cars:
G24  2D-F3U.S.R.A  
G24  2D-F3aU.S.R.A  
Truck data is from PRR documents circa 1940's. Other truck classes may also have been used.

Cars on the PRR roster (as listed in the Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER)):

ClassCarNumberAAR ClassPRR Oct 44PRR Oct 48PRR Apr 52PRR Oct 53PRR Oct 58PRR Oct 63PRR Apr 68
G24351473351873GB4004003992762--
G24751043751329GB17817817713341-
G24775755775966GB13213112997---
G24882541882563GB38383828---
Roster data compiled by Rich Orr

Modeling Information:

Intermountain
G24HO41608USRA Composite Drop Bottom Gondola PRR plastic w/ separate detail-
G24N61608USRA Composite Drop Bottom Gondola PRR plastic w/ separate detail-
Precision Scale
G24HOPSC 15476G24 Gondolabrass - rtr-
Sunshine
G24HO92.2G24 gondola resheathed w/ steel sides, Murphy ends, CK decalsresin kit w/ decals-
G24HO92.4G24 gondola resheathed w/ steel sides, Murphy ends, "A" frame, CK decalsresin kit w/ decals-
G24HO92.5G24 gondola resheathed w/ steel sides, wartime replacement ends, CK decalsresin kit w/ decals-

Equipment Diagrams online:

Class(es)tracing #View
G24-wood61600elevation
G24-steelE-94267elevation

Plans and diagrams in print:

Applicable ClassesTypePublicationPageDescriptionTracing Number
G24Arrangement of LetteringPRR Compendium Vol 142Shadow Key - G24 shown
G24Class DiagramPennsy Car Plans83

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©1998-2001 Robert Schoenberg - robs@railfan.net