According to Mike Schafer and Mike McBride's book, "Freight Train Cars," a contemporary gondola from the mid-20th century onwards is around 50 feet long and can hold up to 70 tons. On a freight train near Nashville, North Carolina in November 1995, a pair of Nash County Railroad SW1s lead five gondolas filled with scrap metal. The set weighed almost 200 tons and was hauled by a single locomotive. The first gondolas were probably used by miners for transporting ore from their claims. They were originally built with wooden sides and roofs to protect the cargo against weather conditions and thieves. Later versions were made of steel to increase their strength. Some old gondolas can still be found in some mines today. In 1872, the first gondola lift opened at Mount Washington in New Hampshire. It was an instant success and is still operating today as one of the world's oldest continuously operated amusement parks (now known as Mt. Washington Resort & Spa). The word "gondola" comes from the Italian language and means "small boat." By the way, the maximum load that a typical freight car is designed to carry is 80,000 pounds. Anything heavier requires more than one car attached end to end.