In the early 1940s, WWII was in full swing and materials were in short supply. This left the nation’s railroads in a state of disarray, as many of the materials normally used for freight cars was redirected for wartime usage. The concept was to substitute wood for steel, wherever possible. This resulted in cars having a half wood, half steel structure. The Atlas O 52’6” 70-Ton War Emergency Gondola captures the look and feel of the composite gondolas right down to the texture of the wood along the sides.