As the American industrial landscape changed in the early-to-mid-20th century, many commodity-reliant narrow gauge railroads survived by tapping into a new source of revenue; tourism. From the Colorado Rockies to the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania, these small regional railroads shifted from being primarily freight haulers to offering scenic excursions from a vantage point otherwise unseen by the general public. To facilitate a more immersive experience without incurring prohibitive costs, open cars with bench seating were constructed using existing freight car frames, providing a thrilling 360-degree view for riders. Today cars such as these are commonplace on most tourist railroads, but it was the endangered narrow gauge railroads with forward-thinking strategies that pioneered this popular style. The Bachmann Gondola Style Excursion Car features separately-applied handrails, scale bench seating, E-Z Mate® Mark II couplers, and arrives in four popular narrow gauge railroad paint schemes.
