A drop-center rail road freight car may have a gondola body for carrying lading, which may have end sections and a deep central section therebetween. The body may include a decking or floor structure, and longitudinally extending side beams bordering the floor structure. The car may have U-shaped bending-moment transmitting cross-bearers. The cross-bearers and side beam stiffeners may have inner and outer flange continuity such as to transmit a bending moment. The car may have stub sills. The stub sills may each have an inboard gooseneck that extends downward and inboard. The gooseneck may have a longitudinally extending portion that connects to the endmost cross-bearer of the central portion of the car. The main shear plate may lap the side sills, and may be bent downwardly to mate with the end margins of the side sheet lower portion to form a converging box-like truncated pyramidal structure.