RTEX Railcar Leasing & Sales provides gondola railcars for lease and purchase across North America. Gondolas are one of the most versatile railcar types in the freight network — purpose-built for open-top loading of heavy, durable materials that don’t require weather protection or bottom discharge. From aggregate and steel products to coal, scrap metal, and large bulk materials, gondolas serve a wide range of industries and commodities.
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What Is a Gondola Railcar?
52” mill gondolas — a standard workhorse car for scrap metal, steel, and heavy industrial freight
A gondola is an open-top freight railcar with fixed side walls and a solid floor, designed to carry materials that can be loaded from above and are not sensitive to weather exposure. Unlike hopper cars, gondolas have no bottom discharge gates — cargo is unloaded from the top using cranes, magnets, clamshell buckets, excavators, or rotary dumpers depending on the commodity and facility.
The majority of gondolas have fixed sides and fixed ends. Large cubic capacity gondolas designed for lightweight bulk commodities — such as wood chips, cottonseed, and mulch — may feature end doors that swing open to allow mechanical unloading from the end of the car.
The two most important factors when selecting a gondola are size (cubic capacity) and floor design. Most gondolas use a flat bottom floor. The exception is coal gondolas in the 4,200–4,400 cu ft range, which use a tub or twin tub floor to channel loose coal toward low points for easier clamshell pickup. Construction material — steel or aluminum — is an additional factor for high side and coal applications.
Gondola Configurations
RTEX sources gondola cars across five primary configurations. Size and floor design are the two key selection criteria — matched to your commodity, bulk density, and facility unloading equipment:
Aggregate Gondola
1,500 – 2,500 cu ft
Flat Bottom Steel Fixed Ends
The smallest gondola class, purpose-built for the densest bulk commodities. The compact cubic capacity keeps the car within standard railroad weight limits when loaded with heavy materials like crushed stone, gravel, and ore. A flat bottom floor provides a simple, durable surface that holds up to abrasive loading by conveyor or front-end loader. Steel construction is standard given the abrasive and heavy nature of aggregate loading conditions.
Common commodities: Crushed stone, gravel, sand, ballast, limestone, iron ore, taconite, boulders
Mill Gondola
2,200 – 3,300 cu ft
Flat Bottom Steel Fixed Ends
The most common gondola type in the North American fleet. Mill gondolas feature relatively low side walls and a flat bottom floor — the low sides allow easy access by overhead crane, magnet, or grapple from above and from the side. Built to handle the demanding loading conditions of steel mills, scrap yards, and fabricators where cranes, magnets, and clamshell buckets drop heavy loads directly into the car. The 52” mill gondola is a widely-used standard in this class.
Common commodities: Scrap metal, steel plate, steel coil, pipe, structural steel, wire rod, rail, track panels, demolition debris
High Side Gondola
3,300 – 4,000 cu ft
Flat Bottom Steel or Aluminum Fixed Ends
Extended side walls increase cubic capacity over a standard mill gondola while retaining the flat bottom floor. Construction material varies by application: steel high side gondolas are commonly used for scrap metal and heavy industrial freight where durability and impact resistance are critical; aluminum high side gondolas are typically used for coal, where the lower tare weight increases net payload per car across high-cycle unit train operations.
Common commodities: Scrap metal (steel), coal (aluminum), coke, aggregates, industrial materials
Coal Gondola
4,200 – 4,400 cu ft
Single or Twin Tub Steel or Aluminum Fixed Ends
The only gondola class that uses a tub floor design. A single tub has one continuous channel sloping inward from both sides toward a center low point. A twin tub has two parallel channels separated by a raised center ridge. Both designs channel loose coal toward low points for more efficient clamshell bucket pickup. The center ridge on twin tub cars adds structural rigidity for longer cars. Available in steel or aluminum; aluminum is common for coal unit trains where minimizing tare weight maximizes payload per trip.
Common commodities: Steam coal, metallurgical coal, petroleum coke — primarily in unit train service
Large Cube Gondola
6,800+ cu ft
Flat Bottom Steel Only Fixed Ends or End Doors
The largest gondola class, built exclusively in steel and designed for lightweight bulk materials where cubic volume — not weight — is the limiting factor. Dramatically extended side walls maximize payload volume per car. These cars are available with fixed ends or end doors that swing open to allow a bulldozer or front-end loader to push material out from the end of the car. They can also be unloaded from above using an elevated excavator platform. At 6,800+ cu ft, these are among the largest gondolas in North American service.
Common commodities: Wood chips, cottonseed, mulch, biomass, wood pellets, lightweight bulk agricultural and forestry products
Configuration Comparison
| Configuration | Capacity | Floor Design | Ends | Construction |
|---|
| Aggregate Gondola | 1,500–2,500 cu ft | Flat Bottom | Fixed | Steel |
| Mill Gondola | 2,200–3,300 cu ft | Flat Bottom | Fixed | Steel |
| High Side Gondola | 3,300–4,000 cu ft | Flat Bottom | Fixed | Steel (scrap) or Aluminum (coal) |
| Coal Gondola | 4,200–4,400 cu ft | Single Tub or Twin Tub | Fixed | Steel or Aluminum |
| Large Cube Gondola | 6,800+ cu ft | Flat Bottom | Fixed or End Doors | Steel only |
Note on End Doors: End doors are an option on large cube gondolas only. Most gondolas — including all aggregate, mill, high side, and coal gondolas — have fixed ends and are unloaded entirely from the top. If your facility uses end-door discharge or an elevated excavator platform, this must be specified when requesting a large cube car.
Car Construction Materials
Steel
Standard for aggregate, mill, and large cube gondolas, and common for high side gondolas used in scrap and industrial applications. Steel cars provide superior impact resistance during crane, magnet, and excavator loading. Higher tare weight than aluminum reduces net payload slightly but is the correct choice wherever abrasive or heavy loading conditions exist.
Aluminum
Used in high side and coal gondola applications where minimizing tare weight to maximize payload per trip is the priority. Aluminum high side gondolas are typically specified for coal unit trains. Not recommended for heavy, abrasive commodities like aggregate, scrap, or ore where impact loading would damage the lighter car body over time.
Not sure which configuration fits your operation? Call RTEX at 904-241-4176 — we’ll match the right car to your commodity and facility.
Commodities Shipped in Gondolas
Gondola interior — flat bottom floor with structural side ribs, unloaded from the top
Gondolas serve a broad range of industries. RTEX has experience leasing and sourcing gondola cars for the following commodities — and if yours isn’t listed, just give us a call.
Industries Served
- Steel mills & metals manufacturing
- Scrap metal dealers & processors
- Aggregate & quarry operations
- Rail infrastructure & maintenance
- Coal mining & energy production
- Mining & mineral processing
- Forestry & biomass producers
- Construction & demolition
Lease or Buy a Gondola Through RTEX
Flexible Leasing. Personal Service. Fast Decisions.
At RTEX, every gondola lease is structured around your specific needs — your commodity, your required cubic capacity, your floor design, and your facility’s unloading method. We work with steel mills, scrap dealers, aggregate producers, coal shippers, and industrial operators of all sizes, and every transaction is handled directly by a principal of RTEX.
- Short-term, long-term, and multi-year lease agreements
- All five gondola configurations sourced across North America
- Steel and aluminum construction options available
- Fixed-end and end-door large cube cars available
- You deal directly with decision-makers — never a call center
- Sales, brokerage, and remarketing also available
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to lease a gondola railcar?
Gondola lease rates vary based on car configuration, cubic capacity, floor design, construction material, lease term length, and current market conditions. Rates are quoted on a per-car, per-month basis. Contact RTEX at 904-241-4176 for a current quote tailored to your requirements.
What is the difference between a gondola and an open top hopper?
The key difference is how the car unloads. Open top hoppers have sloped interior walls and bottom discharge gates — product flows out by gravity, rapid discharge, or rotary dump without needing equipment overhead. Gondolas have no bottom gates and must be unloaded from above using a crane, magnet, clamshell bucket, or excavator. Gondolas are better suited for materials loaded and unloaded in large pieces or requiring crane and magnet handling, while hoppers are better for free-flowing bulk that can gravity-discharge.
What is the difference between a single tub and twin tub coal gondola?
Both are used exclusively in coal gondolas (4,200–4,400 cu ft) and channel loose coal toward low points for clamshell pickup. A single tub has one continuous channel that slopes inward from both sides toward a center low point. A twin tub has two parallel channels separated by a raised center ridge — the ridge adds structural rigidity for longer cars and creates two pickup points instead of one. Both are available in steel and aluminum construction.
Why are large cube gondolas only made in steel?
Large cube gondolas (6,800+ cu ft) are designed for lightweight bulk materials like wood chips, cottonseed, and mulch. These commodities are not weight-sensitive in the way coal is, so the payload advantage of aluminum is less meaningful. Steel construction provides the structural strength needed for the extended side walls and large floor span of these cars, as well as better durability in loading conditions that may involve heavy equipment pushing material against the end doors.
When should I use a steel vs aluminum high side gondola?
Steel high side gondolas are the standard choice for scrap metal and heavy industrial freight where impact resistance during crane and magnet loading is critical. Aluminum high side gondolas are typically used for coal in unit train service, where the lower tare weight increases net payload per car across hundreds of annual cycles — a meaningful efficiency gain at scale.
How quickly can I get a gondola lease in place?
Because you deal directly with a principal of RTEX, we can discuss availability, negotiate terms, and have paperwork in place much faster than a large corporate lessor. Call 904-241-4176 to start the conversation today.
