If you want to model any of the railway activities of Sudbury you’re going to need ore gondolas… and lots of them! Sudbury is the world’s largest producer of nickel, a light metal used in making everything from stainless steel to semiconductors. Most of the raw copper/nickel ore mined within the Sudbury basin has to travel by rail to reach INCO’s smelter; hence the need for these unique cars. Early in the 20th century, INCO standardized on using AAR class ‘GS’ style drop bottom gondolas equipped with Otis dump door mechanisms; and the railways serving them had to follow suit ever since. The model of 375504 represents a member of CP class 375500-699 series all-welded Otis ore gondolas built by Hawker-Siddeley between November 1970 and February 1971. All 200 of these cars were recently rebuilt by CP, and continue in nickel ore service to this very day.
The 375504 and all the other 1971 Otis ore gondolas on the WRMRC Sudbury Division layout are built from Sylvan Scale Models cast resin car kits. These kits feature one-piece bodies with separate underframe, grab irons, ladders and all other necessary detail parts. Weight, trucks and couplers are not included. Sylvan does supply custom decals to model ‘as-delivered’ (shown here) or modern lettering. This particular model was assembled by Ted Kocyla, and features some additional details, such as cut-levers and full underbody brake lines… but otherwise is a Sylvan kit ‘as built’. The WRMRC would like to thank everyone at Sylvan for working with us, obtaining scale drawings, and producing this car for all CP Rail modellers.