The DT&I Gondola - An Alternative

Mocked-up Proto 2000 52' Greenville gondola over DT&I prototype photo over HO scale ruler

With discussion occurring on the Steam Era Freight Car list over on Yahoo! Groups about the 41' DT&I gondolas, I'd thought I'd share something I mocked up that directly pertains to the discussion. The debate occurring is whether an old Athearn 50' gondola or a Proto 2000 52' Greenville gondola makes a better starting point for a kitbash. The Athearn route was the subject model for the Shake-n-Take project at the 2010 Prototype Rails (Shake-n-Take has its own Yahoo! Groups forum). As neither yields a 100% accurate model, it's a pick your poison prospect (there's a little too much alliteration!)
As I did not attend Prototype Rails in 2010, but still have this car on my to-do list, I had thought about it several times. My line of thinking evolved to a direction where I surmised that since Greenville built the DT&I gons and Greenville co-developed the 52' gon, then maybe there were similarities. There were enough, including the ease of modifying the Proto 2000 gon, that I settled on the Proto 2000 route and created the crude graphic shown above as a way to guide my efforts. Note that this doesn't account for any perspective issues with the prototype photo. However, by removing the middle section and a little from the end panels, a close model can be created.
I won't be tackling this anytime soon, but thought the graphic might help others while the debate about tastes great and less filling rages in other quarters. Good luck with your effort!