Project #1 - CGW, L&N, and PM/C&O Auto Cars

When the ATSF and others were building increased capacity single sheathed box cars based on the ARA XM-1 Standard boxcar design, some roads were doing the same with 40' double-door auto cars. Although noted as automobile cars, they were also used for many commodities that were easier to load with their 12' door openings, such as furniture.

CGW 80000-80978

CGW 80556. Courtesy Ray Breyer

Built in 1929, they feature 3/3/3 Dreadnaught ends, with bottom-supported Youngstown corrugated steel doors and a radial roof.

L&N 46000-46399

L&N 46250 Blackstone, NY 11/4/51. Courtesy Bob's Photos

Built in 1929, the L&N cars featured 4/5 Dreadnaught ends, bottom-supported Youngstown corrugated steel double-doors over a 12' door opening, and a Murphy Outside Metal roof

PM 89350-90349

 PM 89399 Builder's Photo

The Pere Marquette had built Auto cars based on the ARA Standard XM-1 box car in 1926. Those cars had a 9'2" interior height and 10' door openings with 1 1/2 Camel (wood) doors and 4 rib Hutchins ends.

For this group of cars built in 1929, they increased the interior height to 10'0", requiring an additional panel with a narrower rib on their preferred Hutchins ends. They also featured a full 12' door opening, and double bottom-supported Youngstown corrugated steel doors.

C&O 254921 rebuilt as box car (ex PM auto car). Fort Bragg, NC 10/10/51.

Courtesy Bob's Photos.

Starting in 1941, the PM started rebuilding many of the cars as single-door box cars. To do so, they removed the left door, and installed an additional diagonal in its place, closely resembling a tall ARA Standard XM-1 singles sheathed box car. Both the double-door auto cars and the single-door box cars lasted into the C&O era after that road acquired the PM in 1947, and many were relettered and renumbered for the C&O.

Project #1 includes all of these cars:

1. ATSF 124000-125999 Bx-11 class
2. ATSF 126000-129499 Bx-12 class
3. ATSF 135000-135999 Bx-13 class
4. RI 141000-142999 series tall Pratt truss box cars
5. ATSF Bx-11/12 classes with 8" extended roof
6. ATSF Bx-11/12 classes with 12" extended roof
7. ATSF Bx-11/12/13 classes rebuilt with steel sides
8. CGW 80000-80978 series Pratt truss auto cars
9. L&N 46000-46399 series Pratt truss auto cars
10. PM 89350-90349 series tall Pratt truss auto cars
11. C&O 289450-290349 series tall Pratt truss auto cars
12. PM 89350-90349 series Pratt truss box cars (converted from auto cars)
13. C&O 289350-290349 series Pratt truss box cars (converted from auto cars)

Don't forget, these will be injection-molded plastic models, available RTR or as kits with era specific details and lettering. Parts too.

What's next? Prototype Rails! We'll see you there! All of the details for the project will be posted next Thursday for our launch there at the show.