Rio Grande High-Side Gondolas: The Versatle Gons of the D&RG

White River Productions, softcover, 130 pages, standard landscape book 10 x 8 in., roster, B&W and Color photographs and illustrations.

The is a very comprehensive title on one type of Rio Grande narrow gauge car. There is much text here. I wish the photographs were larger, but that has probably already been done by other authors and publishers.

This is a pretty good history of the fleet. Rio Grande High-Side Gondolas is a must for Railfans and modelers interested in narrow gauge rolling stock. In spite of the author's quote in the introduction as "a brief, incomplete history," this book is anything but.

Dr. Rhine has chronicled these cars for decades and this is a detailed study of the Rio Grande's narrow gauge high-side gondolas. The book traces all the major classes of cars, from introduction to the railroad, through the many variants and permutations of the car type, to the end of their service lives.

These cars formed the backbone of the coal, mineral, and loose material transport and in so doing, had long and productive lives on the line with many examples still extant, including some in regular service as passenger cars on tourist and museum railroads.

Contents:

• Foreword, Introduction, pp. 4–7, Compatibility - Couplers and Brakes, pp. 8–14, The High-Side (Flat-bottom) Gondolas, pp. 15–20, Various Series of Gondolas, pp. 21–38, Rebuilding the High-Side Fleet, pp. 39–52, Series Details, pp. 53–66, Common Rebuilding Features, pp. 67–76, The Matter of Stakes, pp. 77–83, An Alternative View of the D&RGW's Rebuilt High-Side Gondolas, pp. 84–91, Reduction in the High-Side Gondola Fleet, pp. 92–101, References, p. 102, The Fourth - Grand(e) Rebuild, pp. 103–128, All-Time 32-Foot Gondola Roster, pp. 129–167, Destruction of the 32-Foot Gondolas, pp. 168–176.