Formed in 1928 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, American Locomotive Company and American Steel Foundries, General Steel Castings (GSC) quickly became the primary producer of single piece locomotive beds, car frames and other large castings for the railroad industry following the acquisition of Commonwealth Steel in 1929. While Commonwealth Steel was already well established in the industry, the joining of forces with several of the large locomotive makers (along with Pullman and the eventual acquisition of St. Louis Car Co.) enabled GSC to become a leader in the design and engineering of railcars, such as the industry-standard 53’6” Commonwealth flatcar which remained in production from the early 1950s through the 70s. In 1961, GSC changed their name to General Steel Industries (GSI) as the company diversified from solely casting products but remained a force in the railroad industry until the late 70s.
In 1956, GSC introduced their 60’ flatcar, which was purchased by many railroads, and these cars had very long service lives. Offered either as a complete car or as “kits” which could be further configured by the purchaser depending on the intended service, this car could be found hauling lumber, poles, wallboard, heavy or military equipment, and even railcar frames and aircraft parts. Many of these cars are still used in company service today hauling wrecks or in other MOW capacities.
Features:
- Ready-To-Run
- Die-Cast Metal Frame
- Fine-Scale Detail
- Prototypical Ride Height
- BLMA 70-Ton ASF Ride Control Trucks
- BLMA Low Profile 33″ Metal Wheels
- Body-Mounted Brown Knuckle Couplers
