Tangent Scale Models HO 25026-01 Greenville 86′ Double Plug Door Box Car, Norfolk Southern #868163

During the 1960s, the most radical freight car designs employed the extreme height clearances offered by Plate F car designs. In 1964, no car type articulated this extreme more than the 86-foot, purpose-built “Auto Parts” boxcars. These large boxcars became fixtures on the rails all over North American mainlines, riding hot trains to deliver components vital to the productivity of auto plants. While several car builders offered 86′ auto parts boxcars, the most prolific builder of the double plug door design was Greenville Steel Car Company of Greenville PA. More than 4,400 of these cars were acquired by most major railroads, and they were assigned to pools where multiple railroad’s cars served a specific shipper or shippers. Original utilization of these cars was for Ford, Pontiac, and Chrysler, as well as deliveries from 3rd party parts suppliers to the auto plants. Greenville’s 1964-1978 production was the longest run for this car type, with many still in service today.

Illinois Central Gulf (ICG) “Delivery 1977” is our first Greenville 86′ auto parts offering in the ICG family of schemes. ICG had three distinct orders of Greenville double-door boxcars, and this group represents the 1977 delivery cars, the second of the three orders. The 1977 cars have body-mounted brake gear and End-of-Car Cushioning components. These stunning orange replicas continue our high-quality offerings for ICG cars, complete with the 10-foot I-ball logo, large Illinois Central Gulf lettering, plus white “Cushion Car” stenciling. These cars are a little different from some of the more traditional auto parts cars, as their return route stenciling directs them to “ICG RR, Centralia Illinois” – an artwork detail that we replicate faithfully!

Features:
Body shells with or without overlapping side panels
EOCC (end of car cushioning) or COCC (center of car cushioning) “near scale” draft gear variations with genuine Kadee scale couplers Separate flexible rubber air hoses
Roofs with running board supports remaining in place (1965+ appearance since the running boards were gone by 1966) and roofs without running board supports (1965+ Greenville production)
Under car brake system variations
“See through” etched metal end crossover platforms in three possible options: Gypsum, Apex, or Morton
Side tack board types/sizes and locations
Seven prototypically-accurate brake stands (Ajax, Universal, Equipco, Miner 6600, Champion-Peacock, Elcon-National, Peacock 850)
Two possible handbrake “brake wheel” options
Optional 3rd door arm hinge parts to be configured one of three ways
Two brand new truck sideframes: 70-Ton Barber S-2A Roller Bearing Truck or a 100-Ton “Low Profile” Barber S-2-C Roller Bearing Truck 33″ or 36″ wheels, as applicable to each model
Two brand new truck brake beam part options
Three brand new “rotating” roller bearing truck cap options