Covered Gondola cars

Looking through the new model rr catalog I spotted an advertisement for covered gondola cars. The roadnames available were for "fallen flag" roads. Are these cars still used and what did they carry that needed a cover over the car?

I know coiled steel is used in special cars but that cover is different than what is on the covered gondola.

The ones ive saw are used for dirty dirt.

Covered gondolas were the 1960s predecessors of the coil cars we know today. The UP Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment has a picture of an early uncovered flatcar-based coil car, the caption stating "It was soon evident that coil steel required protection from the elements and covered gondolas were developed." A covered gondola is also pictured in regular service with the caption stating "Covered gondolas were devised to protect steel that was subject to weather damage." There are also pictures of a covered gondola in non-revenue service for carrying traction motors between Omaha and Salt Lake City; the car was basically painted like revenue gondolas, except the cover was orange with large black lettering: "KEEP THIS CAR MOVING IMPORTANT COMPANY MATERIAL"

I don't recall ever seeing a steel-covered gondola in service myself, though I have seen them with soft plastic covers. However, Union Pacific's website does state "Generally, higher quality products, such as coiled steel, steel plate, and high grade ores are shipped in covered gondolas for maximum weather protection."

Covered gons go back at least a little farther....the May 1958 Erie Railroad Magazine has an article on pages 8 & 9 describing the construction of 10 gons for transporting tin plate and flat sheet steel. They had movable bulkheads, and 3-piece removable steel covers. The first car got its first load at Jones & Laughlin Steel at Oil City PA. There are 4 photos of ERIE 50348, which carries a stencil "BLT 10-57".

The Local railroad in my area uses Covered Gondolas to move uncoated bar steel from the Steel mill to where ever the coustomer is. Cars with out the green rubber coating move in standered gos with out covers.

For a while in late 2006-early 2007 CSX was moveing vary low level class 3 radioactive material in covered Gons some with lids outhers with just tarps to an undisclosed Location in the Northeast. I figure that about 100+ gons moved at any one time every 6 mounths for a year with a load.