This car, like the 33548 crane car and the 33549 crane tender car, was manufactured for Gilbert by Tru-Scale.  Most of the Gilbert items made by outside contractors had slight differences from the items marketed by the manufacturer.  In this case, the difference was very slight.  Only the number on the Gilbert car was different.   Gilbert cars bear the number "363" whereas Tru-Scale cars have been found bearing the numbers "203" and "134"   Catalog Illustrations show the number as "309," but that number does not appear on any cars.  While generally the "363" is the only accepted Gilbert number, it is possible that other cars may have found their way into Gilbert packaging.  Click here to read notes about collecting Gilbert Tru-Scale cars.

Photo Courtesy of Bill Cucchi