A guide to 1920s era HO scale plastic freight cars

Updated August, 2021

Many modelers inquire about available plastic models appropriate for Pre-Depression Era railroad modeling. The general perception among a large number of hobbyists is uninformed and many feel there are only a few models appropriate to represent railroads of the 1920s. With the help of several railroad prototype modelers, this guide has been assembled to illustrate the possibilities of a 1920s freight car fleet using HO scale plastic models. As of this August 2021 update, these are mostly available (or anticipated) HO scale, injection molded plastic products appropriate for a 1920s modeling focus. Not all of these products display the appropriate paint or lettering to reflect a 1920s prototype freight car. Some products listed here may only be available in the secondhand market.

Reference detail is included on several models to encourage the reader to seek out published articles featuring additional prototype details. Many of the Railmodel Journal articles noted through this survey are currently available to view on the TrainLife website. The search function is easy to use in finding the specific issues.

Several out of print Railroad Prototype Cyclopedia volumes are highly recommended. Some can be found through hobby shops and secondary sources. An index is available on the Resin Car Works blog Helpful Links page.

Many of the HO scale model freight cars images featured are from the collections of other Pre-Depression Era modelers and may have had detail parts and weathering added in the building process.

A guide of this nature has many contributors and folks who review the facts before info updates. Many thanks to the Pirate Crew of Pre-Depression Era railroad modelers: David Bott, Ray Breyer, Dave Campbell, Kyle Coble, Steve Hedlund, David Jobe, Sr., Richard Kowalski, Dan Merkel, Harold Oakhill, Dave Parker, Dean Payne, and Mark Plank.


Accurail

A number of 36-foot box car kits were introduced in 2017 and 2018. These models came with KC brake systems and Andrews trucks.

1100 Series 36-foot Fowler, single-sheathed, wood boxcar with straight underframe

1300 Series 36-foot double-sheathed, wood boxcar with steel ends and fishbelly underframe

1700 Series 36-foot double-sheathed, wood boxcar with wood ends and fishbelly underframe

1400 Series 36-foot double-sheathed, wood boxcar with steel ends and straight underframe

1800 Series 36-foot double-sheathed, wood boxcar with wood ends and straight underframe

Links to prototype summaries can be found on this blog page to help you understand a variety of prototypes.

Accurail USRA hopper

2400 and 2500 Series USRA 55-ton twin hopper – 25,000 prototypes built under USRA control from 1919 to 1920 and assigned to 23 different railroads.

Railmodel Journal May 1995 (page 5) – USRA Twin Hoppers

The 2400 Series hopper models are supposed to be decorated with USRA “as built” lettering schemes and are packed with Andrews trucks. The 2500 Series models carry later lettering styles and are packed with ARA cast steel side frame trucks, commonly called “Bettendorf”.

Accurail composite coal hopper

2700 Series 55-ton wood side twin hoppers – These models closely match a series of Nickel Plate Road hoppers built in the early 1920s.

Accurail USRA double-sheathed box car

4600 Series USRA 40-ton double-sheathed box car – 25,000 prototypes built under USRA control from 1919 to 1920 and assigned to 24 different railroads.

Several models in this 4600 Series are decorated with “as-built” lettering styles. Compare prototype images with the product images on the Accurail website to ensure a model with lettering for your era. All of the 4600 Series models are packed with Andrews trucks. A data only version of this model is also available with lettering following the original data arrangement.

Railmodel Journal May 1998 (page 17) – USRA 40-foot Double-Sheathed Boxcars
Also see Railroad Prototype Cyclopedia Vol. 16 for more prototype details.

Accurail 8-panel single sheathed box car

4100 Series 40-foot single-sheathed wood boxcar, wood doors & ends

Mostly similar to Canadian National and Grand Trunk Western prototypes built just before and after WW1. Consult the article for additional prototype details.

Railmodel Journal February 1993 (page 14) – 40-foot Single-Sheathed Box Cars from Accurail & Sunshine kits

A simple upgrade can be done by installing some strip styrene to make a straight steel centersill. This change can make these models better reflect some prototypes. One or two additional modifications and the model would resemble a series of 3700 Atlantic Coast Line cars.

Accurail 8-panel single sheathed box car modified

4300 Series 40-foot single-sheathed wood boxcar,  wood doors, steel ends
4500 Series 40-foot single-sheathed wood boxcar, steel doors, steel ends

While the 4100, 4300, and 4500 series models are reflective of several prototypes built in the 1920s, these are NOT USRA design box cars.

Accurail wood sheathed refrigerator car

4800 Series 40-foot wood refrigerator car – very similar to cars installed by the FGE Companies in 1925 and 1926.

Accurail 6-panel single sheathed box car

7000 Series 6-Panel, 40-foot single-sheathed wood boxcar, wood doors & Ends

These models hold similarities to Illinois Central and Milwaukee prototypes, but are a bit too tall to match specific freight cars.

7100 Series 6-Panel 40-foot single-sheathed wood boxcar, steel doors & ends
7200 Series 6-Panel 40-foot single-sheathed wood boxcar, wood doors, steel ends

Not all Accurail paint and lettering schemes are proper for a 1920s era freight car. Several Accurail products do have paint and lettering accurate for the 1920s and early 1930s time period. I recommend comparing the products with prototype images. Brake systems on nearly all of these Accurail models will need to be backdated by installing a KC or KD system.


Athearn/Roundhouse

Roundhouse short flat car

30-foot flat car – The model is mostly similar to a Milwaukee Road prototype built in the early 1940s for special hauling of naval gun barrels and heavy loads.. It bears passing resemblance to a Pennsylvania Railroad prototype.

Roundhouse milk refrigerator car

40-foot Pflauder milk car – Don Valentine sent along additional prototype details:  The “40-foot Pflauder milk car” shown in this list is a GPEX car by acquisition only. It is in fact a model of an MDT constructed car, many of which were later acquired and operated under lease by General American – Pfaudler Corp. just as their own General American constructed cars were. These cars from the Athearn “Roundhouse” line are, however, accurate to model from the mid-1920′s on into the early 1950′s.

Roundhouse 50-foot, single-sheathed automobile box car

50-foot single-sheathed automobile box car – Follows Texas & Pacific and Western Pacific prototype cars.

Railmodel Journal July 1995 (page 12 to 22) – 50-foot Single Sheathed Box Cars from MDC’s kit

40-foot pickle tank car

ARA 70-ton offset side quad hopper – Details on this model more closely match B&O W-2 and subclass cars with ladders versus grab irons, but the model suffers from overly thick operating hopper doors

See Railroad Prototype Cyclopedia Vols. 5 and 14 for more prototype details.

Not all Athearn/Roundhouse paint and lettering schemes are proper for a 1920s era freight car. Brake systems on nearly all of these Athearn/Roundhouse models will need to be backdated by installing a KC or KD system.

Roundhouse truss rod car

This truss-rod, double wood-sheathed, refrigerator car is a model many model railroaders believe is appropriate to use if modeling the 1920s or 1930s. A similar box car and stock car has also been available. After reviewing many prototype photographic images taken in the 1920s, I feel these Athearn/Roundhouse 36-foot box, reefer and stock car models are more appropriate for an earlier 1905-1920 era with the truss rods and wood roofs. With some alterations and modifications, these freight cars can be used for the 1920 era, but it may be easier to scratch build the same model.


Atlas Model Trains

Atlas AC&F refrigerator car former Branchline

40-foot AC&F/URTX wood refrigerator car

This model was a former Branchline Trains product.

Railmodel Journal May 2000 (page 14) – AC&F “Type III” Wood Reefers built 1927-1931

Atlas meat refrigerator car

36-foot General American Car Company wood reefer

Several Atlas products do have paint and lettering accurate for the 1920s and early 1930s time period. I recommend comparing the products with prototype images.


Bowser Manufacturing

Bowser GLa coal hopper

GLa 2-Bay Hopper – Thousands built for the PRR and many near copies built for other railroads. This model can be used as a stand-in for those railroads with fleets of the 1905 Common Design hopper.

Railmodel Journal February 2002 (page 20) – PRR GLa Hoppers from Westerfield or Bowser kits
Model Railroading June 2002 (page 17) – Bowser GLa Twin Hopper

Bowser H21 coal hopper

H21 Clam Shell 4-bay hopper – Thousands were built for Pennsylvania Railroad service. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad had a few thousand very similar hoppers in their W-1 class.

Railmodel Journal November 2000 (page 57) – B&O Class W-1 Hoppers from Bowser kits
Railmodel Journal May 1993 (page 14) – PRR Class H21 Hoppers from Bowser kits

Bowser H22 coke hopper

H22 Clam Shell 4-Bay Hopper – Often used in captive service between coke operations and steel mills. These were being rebuilt into H-22a cars through the 1920s.

H22a 4-Bay Hopper – rebuilt H22 cars.

Railmodel Journal May 1994 (page 43) – PRR Class H22a Hoppers from Bowser kits

Bowser GS gondola

GS Gondola – Thousands built for PRR and subsidiaries and used to haul a variety of loads.

Railmodel Journal April 1999 (page 29) – PRR GS Class Gondolas

Several Bowser products do have paint and lettering accurate for the 1920s and early 1930s time period. I recommend comparing the products with prototype images.  Brake systems on nearly all of these Bowser models will need to be backdated by installing a KC or KD system.


Broadway Limited Imports

bli_araquad_web
Image from the BLI website.

ARA standard 70-ton quadruple hopper – This recent BLI release is of generally good overall quality. It has KD brakes, and the 6-spring, 70-t Symington trucks are unique (but only appropriate for some roads). The side-sheathing details are slightly different than the MTH car that is noted further down this page, and may work better for certain roads. The BLI model seems to reflect the revised car design introduced in 1929, while the MTH model follows the original ARA design of 1926.

The model represents an upgrade over the old Athearn/AHM/Bachmann patterns. They certainly offer kit-bashing opportunities for folks who want to upgrade the details. Backdating the lettering and reweigh dates will be needed in almost all instances to create an accurate 1920s model.
Modelers are advised to seek out Ed Hawkins’ definitive article on the ARA quad hoppers published in Railway Prototype Cyclopedia, Volume 5. This article and photos of specific prototypes can guide a modeler to the specific structural details and lettering.

New York Central Steel USRA steel boxcar
Initial releases of the product reflect a prototype that was upgraded in the late 1940s with new hardware. We hope BLI produces a version that more closely follows the original design first produced in the early 1920s.


Central Valley Model Works

Northern Pacific 40’ stock car


The Ertl Company

Ertl produced three HO scale plastic freight cars in the 1990s; a USRA double-sheathed boxcar, low-side 40-foot steel gondola, and a 40-foot flat car. These can be found on the secondhand market. I wasn’t impressed with these Ertl models. The Tichy flat car is a better model and there other USRA double-sheathed boxcars on this list to fill that need.


Intermountain

Intermountain USRA composite gondola

USRA Composite 50 ton Drop Bottom Gondola – 20,000 prototypes built under USRA control from 1919 to 1920 and assigned to 25 different railroads.

Railmodel Journal February 2000 (page 18) – USRA 50-ton, 41-foot 6-inch Composite Gondolas

Intermountain Caswell gondola

AT&SF Caswell Gondola – Several classes have been available representing a few thousand in-service cars.

Intermountain AT&SF SK class stock car

AT&SF SK stock car – Several classes have been available, but only the K brake equipped SK-R is accurate for the time period.

Intermountain has labeled some of their products as to the era represented by details, paint, and lettering. I recommend comparing the products with prototype images.

The Red Caboose line of models has been sold to Intermountain and can be found advertised and marked under that brand. Not all of these Red Caboose models will be released through Intermountain. Keep your eyes open at train shows for these fine models.

Red Caboose X29 box car

X29 and ARA 1923 Proposed Standard Steel Sheathed box car – Thousands of the prototype box cars were built for PRR and B&O. Slight variations in prototypes were made available with individual model versions.

The following Railmodel Journal issues feature artielces on these cars: August 1997 (page 10), June 1998 (page 24), November 2001 (page 16), and December 2001 (page 49). These articles also have some detail on the ARA 1923 Proposed Standard steel-sheathed box cars. Railroad Prototype Cyclopedia Vols. 18 & 24 contain a wealth of prototype details.

Red Caboose 42-foot, steel, fishbelly side sill flat car

42-foot Steel, Fish Belly Side Sill Flat Car

Railmodel Journal January 1997 (page 53) – USRA-Design 42-foot Flat Cars

Red Caboose SP stock car

S-40-5 Southern Pacific Stock Car

R-30-12 Reefer – Mostly follows a PFE prototype class.

Railmodel Journal April 1997 (page 46) – PFE Wood Reefers

Red Caboose Mather refrigerator car

Red Caboose had also produced models of a 37-foot wood-sheathed, Mather refrigerator car but these models have not been produced since 2009 or 2010.


MTH Electric Trains

The MTH HO scale tooling was sold to Scale Trains in January 2021.

mth_usra_twin_web

USRA 55 ton twin hopper – This model is a very good casting with scale wire grab irons and handholds, and comes equipped with a split KD brake system. The Andrews trucks are also excellent.

Unfortunately, only some of the railroads offered by MTH actually had USRA hoppers with the road numbers provided (e.g., PRR, B&O, P&LE). Other hoppers are misnumbered or, more commonly, are lettered for railroads that had 50-ton steel twin hoppers similar to the USRA design but were not. The Erie car pictured here is an example of a railroad that did not have USRA design hoppers. Oddly, catalog photos show the typical lever-style hand brakes, but three models seen “in the flesh” have vertical-shaft hand brake wheels. The models all have Enterprise door locks, which seem to be appropriate for many USRA hoppers throughout the decade.

As with many of the models noted here, modelers are advised to seek out photos of specific prototypes to guide detail and lettering.

Railmodel Journal May 1995 (page 5) – USRA Twin Hoppers

mth_ara_quad_web


ARA standard 70-ton quadruple hopper – The ARA standard 70-ton quadruple hopper came into use in 1926 with 3000 cars delivered to the B&O, and another 2000 cars to the B&O in 1927. This Southern Pacific car offered by MTH is part of their RTR freight car products, although the SP did not own any cars of this design. It is a decent model, but not nearly as nice as the 55-ton USRA twin noted above. The brake hardware is not very detailed, but it looks like KD. It would likely work for some roads.

At first glance, these cars are similar to the BLI ARA quad hoppers noted near the top of this list. Some modelers have noted subtle differences in the side sheathing, doubler plates, end panel taper, ladders, hand brakes, and trucks. This MTH model seems to reflect the original 1926 design while the BLI model follows the revised design introduced in 1929.

Overall, this model also represents an upgrade over the old Athearn/AHM/Bachmann patterns. They certainly offer kit-bashing opportunities for folks who want to upgrade the details. Backdating the lettering and reweigh dates will be needed in almost all instances to create an accurate 1920s model.

Modelers are advised to seek out Ed Hawkins’ definitive article on the ARA quad hoppers published in Railway Prototype Cyclopedia, Volume 5. This article and photos of specific prototypes can guide a modeler to the specific structural details and lettering.

mth_pfe_r402_web
Image from the MTH website.

Pacific Fruit Express R40-2 class reefer
This model seems quite accurate structurally and paint wise. The black roof is correct. The build date of 1928 is correct, as is the pre-1933 UP herald and a correct road number. The model purchased for the review has a KC brake system and has no obvious later reweigh date. It seems to be a very good late-1920s rendition that complements the Red Caboose R30-12 nicely.

The only noticeable glitch are the otherwise excellent T-Section Bettendorf trucks, which were not applied to this particular PFE reefer class. Prototype R40-2 cars were delivered with ARA Type Y Cast Steel Frame trucks. Any 1920s modeler will happily install these sweet T-Section Bettendorf trucks on another model. I wish they were available separately.


Owl Mountain Models

One of the kits will cover three Southern Pacific flat car classes in the post-Harriman era.
SP F-50-5 class cars were built in 1916 – 925 cars
SP F-50-8 class cars were built in 1923 – 350 cars
SP F-50-9 class cars were built in 1924 – 450 cars

F-50 series flat cars

Additional flat car models are coming soon!


Precision Scale Company

UTLX Frameless Tank Car – 6500 gallon tank cars originally built between 1908 and 1912.


Rapido Trains

Northern Pacific double-sheathed boxcar
The prototype cars were built in 1923 for the Northern Pacific. 3994 are listed in service in the 1926 ORER in the 10000-13999 car series, and 3943 cars are listed in the 1943 ORER.

USRA double-sheathed boxcar
The USRA assigned 25,000 of these cars to a number of railroads. The CB&Q car above is a pre-release model displayed at the 2019 St Louis RPM. 14 road names have been produced.

USRA single-sheathed boxcar
Rapido announced this addition to their model line in 2020. The car image above is from the Rapido website and is a pre-release model. 14 road names have been announced, plus some upgraded versions will be produced.


Pennsylvania Railroad GLa twin hopper
Rapido announced this addition in late 2020. The car image above is a pre-release model displayed at the 2021 St Louis RPM. Seven road names have been announced, two of those represent different PRR eras.


Tangent Scale Models

General American 8,000 Gallon 1917-Design Radial Course Tank Car

A summary of this model can be found in a DesignBuildOp blog post.

General American 10,000 Gallon 1917-Design Radial Course Tank Car

General American 8,000 Gallon 1917-Design Radial Course Insulated Tank Car

tangent_stcx9234_web

This Tangent Models 6000 gallon, Three Compartment tank car is an exceptionally well done model that falls into a grey area on our summary here because only two prototype owners received cars that fit the parameters of this list: COSX (1929) and STCX (1930). The lettering all conforms to the build date (i.e., no later pressure test dates).

The models come with AB brake systems installed and would need to be backdated to K brake system hardware for a proper appearance through the late 1930s. Of minor concern are the trucks. Tangent has installed lovely 50-ton, 5-spring trucks, but this car might look better on a pair of Tahoe Model Works ARA 40-ton trucks (TMW-215).


Tichy Train Group

USRA 50 ton single-sheathed box car – 25,000 prototypes built under USRA control from 1919 to 1920 and assigned to 22 different railroads.

See Railroad Prototype Cyclopedia Vol. 17 for more prototype details.

Tichy USRA hopper

USRA 55 ton twin hopper – 25,000 prototypes built under USRA control from 1919 to 1920 and assigned to 23 different railroads.

Railmodel Journal May 1995 (page 5) – USRA Twin Hoppers

20s_pg_tichy_fbflat

Fishbelly centersill flat car – Follows an NC&StL prototype and is close to several prototypes that ran on the DL&W, SP&S, Cotton Belt, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, and New York Central Lines.

Railmodel Journal June 1993 (page 5) – Tichy’s HO Scale 41-Foot Flat Car

Tichy PFE refrigerator car

Tichy R30-13 Reefer – Mostly follows a PFE prototype class and can be use for R40-2, R40-4 and R40-8 classes with some modifications.

Railmodel Journal April 1997 (page 46) – PFE Wood Reefers

Tichy low side gondola

Low Side Gondola – Follows an Atlantic Coast Line prototype. If this model is built without the gondola sides, it closely resembles some flat cars built for the Akron, Canton & Youngstown, Chesapeake & Ohio, and the Denver & Rio Grande Western.


True Line Trains

Image from the True Line Trains website.
Image from the True Line Trains website.

Canadian Pacific Minibox – A steel sheathed box car introduced in June 1929. 7,500 were built over the next year. True Line Trains has closed up, so keep your eyes open at train shows.


Walthers Proto

P2K Type 21 tank car
P2K insulated tank car

Type 21 American Car & Foundry (AC&F) tank cars

These are among some of the finest tank car models available. These cars have been produced with a couple of different size tanks, as well as the insulated tank version in the image above. Not all Walthers Proto paint and lettering schemes are proper for a 1920s era freight car. Brake systems on nearly all of these Walthers Proto models will need to be backdated by installing a KC or KD system. Some of these tank car models were produced with the older KC or KD brake systems. Each of the following articles contain a wealth of prototype details.

Railmodel Journal November 2005 (page 51) – AC&F 10,000 gallon Type 21 insulated tank car
Railmodel Journal January 2000 (page 13) – AC&F 10,000 gallon Type 21 tank cars
Railmodel Journal February 1998 (page 53) – AC&F Type 21 tank cars

proto_type21_kc_web

AC&F Type 21 tank car with K brake system
Walthers Proto has issued some versions of their AC&F Type 21 tank car model that are appropriate for the 1920s as they are equipped with KC brakes, and 1920s build and maintenance dates. The production runs were low, but these Walthers Proto models do exist, possibly even in the original LifeLike Proto2000 boxes.

The photo of the Shell car above has had the original trucks replaced with more appropriate Tahoe Model Works ARA 40-ton trucks (TMW-215). Arch bars were quite common on Type 21 tank cars throughout the decade and at least a few cars rode on T-Section Bettendorf trucks.

Walthers Mainline

Walthers USRA Mill gondola

USRA Drop End 70 ton Mill Gondola – 5,000 prototypes built under USRA control from 1919 to 1920 and assigned to 5 different railroads.

Railmodel Journal July 2002 (page 50) – USRA 70-ton, 46-foot Mill Gondolas

Walthers USRA composite gondola
Proto1000 WKW USRA composite gondola

USRA Composite 50 ton Drop Bottom Gondola – 20,000 prototypes built under USRA control from 1919 to 1920 and assigned to 25 different railroads.

Railmodel Journal February 2000 (page 18) – USRA 50-ton, 41-foot 6-inch Composite Gondolas

USRA 55 ton twin hopper – 25,000 prototypes built under USRA control from 1919 to 1920 and assigned to 23 different railroads.

Railmodel Journal May 1995 (page 5) – USRA Twin Hoppers

Walthers also lists the X29 Box Car, a stock car, and a XM-1 single sheathed box in their line. These are former Trains-Miniature products and resemble freight car designs used in the 1920s, but modifications and detail work will need to be done so they reflect a prototype better.


Final Notes
Intermountain also offers some of the Tichy models as painted and lettered, ready-to-run products.

A guide of this nature has many contributors and folks who review the facts before it is posted here. Many thanks to a veritable Pirate Crew of Pre-Depression Era railroad modelers: David Bott, Ray Breyer, Dave Campbell, Kyle Coble, Steve Hedlund, Ben Hom, David Jobe, Sr., Richard Kowalski, Dan Merkel, Harold Oakhill, Dave Parker, Dean Payne, and Mark Plank.

Thanks also to Steve Sandifer, Dennis Storzek, and Don Valentine for additional discussions, tips, and suggestions that have moved this freight car guide to reality.

This page was originally published in late 2012 and updated in August 2021. Products come and go from the market leaving modelers to search out items at train shows and swap meets. A handful of appropriate models are possibly missing from this list. Additions are welcome but please keep them as currently available injection molded plastic models that need little bashing or work to reflect a pre-1930 prototype freight car design.

Please leave a comment below. All comments are reviewed and approved before they appear here.

28 thoughts on “A guide to 1920s era HO scale plastic freight cars”

  1. The “40-foot Pflauder milk car” shown in this list is a GPEX car by acquisition only. It is in fact a model of an MDT constructed car, many of which were later acquired and operated under lease by General American – Pfaudler Corp. just as their own General American constructed cars were. These cars from the Athearn “Roundhouse” line are, however, accurate to model from the mid-1920’s on into the early 1950’s.

    Cordially, Don Valentine

  2. I just got back from my trip to Wheeling, WV and Baltimore and Roanoke yesterday. Saw lots of things in two museums and several layouts. I spent some time on the actual area you are modeling and took some photos of the old Pennsy station foundation just north of the long gone B&O freight house you are modeling. I also took some photos of the plaques in the area as well as several photos of the locations where the tracks crossed the creek and ran to the various buildings. The rails are still visible to the entrance of one of the buildings and in the civic center parking lot from one of the bridges to the point they crossed main and 16th street. I’ll post pictures after I upload them and send you some via your blog that you might be interested in. I also took photos of all the remaining bridge structures crossing from the old grocery district to the freight house and station areas. It is amazing how much the place has changed.

    Really nice models Eric. I also took lots of pictures at the B&O museum in Baltimore. Got some shots of a few cars that might be suitable for your era. When I get the chance I try and send some to you.
    Rob in Texas

    1. Good to hear from you, Rob. it sounds like you enjoyed a nice trip back east. I’d enjoy reviewing the Wheeling images you took. I’ll drop you an email. – Eric

    1. No Brad, it is not a USRA box car design. That Accurail model does not reflect an Erie prototype. It comes close to the Fowler/Dominion car designs the Erie rostered, but those were 36-foot cars, not 40-foot.

      Scroll down to the Tichy models to see a USRA single sheathed box car. The Erie was assigned only 200 of those cars by the USRA.

      – Eric

      1. The Accurail car represents a CN 40′ auto boxcar that was a stretched version of the Dominion car, it actually originated in a resin kit tooled by one of the Accurail founders prior to Accruail’s existence.

        It’s not accurate for anything other than that specific prototype, which was only built in small numbers.

        1. Thanks for your comment, Adam. Have you reviewed the Richard Hendrickson article on these box cars? It was published in the February 1993 issue of Rail Model Journal. Here’s the link: http://magazine.trainlife.com/rmj_1993_2/

          Richard mentioned the true prototypes in detail but also covers several prototypes that have similarities to the model. By changing the brakes to a KC or KD system, adding/removing a few details, and applying lettering that follows the mid-1920s ARA guidelines, this plastic model can be a decent stand-in reflecting a number of prototypes for someone modeling the 1920s and early 1930s. – Eric

        2. I really beg to differ, as I’m sitting here looking at a copy of a flyer published by Canadian Car & Foundry Co. Ltd. that illustrates the 750 boxcars of this design built for the CNR in 1923. As I recall, there were several other lots of similar cars built by several builders. At the time we were doing the tooling, I was led to believe by Stafford Swain that this was the standard boxcar for the road after they stopped buying 36′ cars and before they started buying the cars with six panel sides and Dreadnaught ends.

          The story about the automobile cars pertains to our 4300 series kits, the same car with corrugated steel ends. The CNR did not have any of these boxcars with steel ends as built, but did have a series of automobile cars of substantially the same dimensions. These were later rebuilt as single door boxcars, but closer to the WWII era, which is what that kit models.

  3. I too am modeling in the 1920’s era. Using the Delaware and Hudson as the prototype. Most of their rolling stock was heavy weight wood sheathed cars. Box and Gons, with a few hoppers. If I go into the later 20’s, steel was introduced into the roster. Thanks for all the updates on equipment. By the way I am in “N” scale, all steam. Bill

  4. I noticed that you had a picture of the Red Caboose 42′ fishbelly flat car. I have been trying to find a prototype pic of this car, preferrrably the Rock Island flavored. I looked on a website, I don’t remember whose, and the ONLY pic of a Rock Island 42′ flat car was of MY model. No prototype, or any other car. HALLLLLLP! ! ! ! ! ! !

    1. John, the January 1997 Railmodel Journal has prototype details on the Red Caboose 42-foot flat cars. The Rock Island had 250 of these cars installed in 1923-24 and another 750 added in 1929-30. A builder image of the early cars can be seen in the issue of RMJ. It seems all of these were lengthened to 53-foot cars in 1937. – Eric

  5. Eric:
    Now that I finally have my Tonopah and Tidewater RR in operational shape, I’m starting to pay closer attention to detail and accuracy with my rolling stock. As your blog demonstrates is that there is clearly a fair amount of kits and models available for the eras that we are interested in, however what is striking to me is the paucity of western railroads represented. With few exceptions there is very little available for UP, SP, WP, ATSF let alone SP,LA&SL, LA&SL or or D& SL. Did the USRA leave the western roads alone or were they uninterested in the designs? I know coal was being burned in Goldfield and it probably came from a western coal mine, but I can find a hopper lettered for a western road for this time era. Your thoughts?.

    1. Hey Nevin! Thanks for your comment. Your observations on the USRA freight car assignments are interesting. You are correct that those roads you mentioned received very few USRA car assignments. I believe the USRA initially allotted the freight cars based upon the health of the individual railroad freight car fleet and the war demands of the industries each railroad served. The Western roads you mentioned many not have had the need to update their fleets as much as other Eastern and Midwestern lines. Note the AT&SF and the SP each were assigned a few thousand USRA freight cars. Western lines seemed to prefer gondolas in that era as well, so few hoppers were assigned to western roads. The AT&SF Caswell gondola fleet was used to move quite a bit of coal. Note the El Paso & Southwestern were assigned 250 USRA drop bottom gondolas, which were probably put to use hauling coal from the mines in Dawson, NM. The Southern Pacific gondola book would be a solid resource to better understand their overall fleet. The union Pacific fleet would have similarities as both were under Harriman control until about 1910.

      Here’s a question for you, Nevin. Why are you interested in the USRA cars when you model 1915? Are you changing the era of the layout? – Eric

      1. I’m thinking about sliding up towards 1918 or 1920. In 1915 the Bullfrog Goldfield in Goldfield was controlled by the Las Vegas & Tonopah and they ran it as one company. In 1918 the USRA kicked the Las Vegas & Tonopah out, effectively killing it by denying access to UP shops in Las Vegas. It died and the Tonopah and Tidewater which ran from Ludlow (ATSF) to Beatty took over the BG to Goldfield. If I do move to a later date then a variety of new cars become possibilities. The roadbed of the LV&T became Highway 95 which I happen to drive every day to work.

        My layout is now essentially finished 🙂 Now it is about fine tuning and refinement. Time for some operations sessions, too.

  6. How come you did not include the 40′ single-sheathed composite ARA boxcar with Murphy ends, 40′ USDA double-sheathed boxcar and the 40′ early refrigerator car released under Walther’s Mainline series? With some back dating, they fit into the 1920s timeframe.

    1. Thanks for your comment, Eric. First, this Guide has been around for almost a decade. I update about every year as things don’t change much. Second, the single-sheathed ARA boxcar and reefer models are mentioned near the very end of the Guide. These are former Train-Miniature products that Walthers had announced releasing. I see the reefer on their website but not the single-sheathed ARA boxcar. I saw the reefer and the USRA double-sheathed boxcar at the 2019 SLC National Train show. I forgot about the models and had not seen anything about actual releases. Even now on the Walthers site, I do not see any availability and only undecorated models featured. – – Eric H.

  7. Hello, thanks for this fantastic guide of yours. I just discovered now that the links to the Railmodel Journal articles you mention are not working anymore (they did last week, or the week before!). So I looked around and accidentally found this:

    http://original.trainlife.com/magazines/browse/title/1

    and all the articles mentioned above. Unfortunately, not all the articles are complete (a scanning problem?).

    Best regards from Switzerland

    Emilio Crignola

      1. Unfortunately, while it does look like your links have been updated point to the new site, the new Trainlife site’s magazine pages are all (still) down, with an “error establishing a database connection” error.

        1. Brooks, yes the links are correct but the Trainlife site seems to be having database problems. We just need to wait it out. – Eric H.

  8. This has been an interesting read. I’m modelling a freelanced HO railroad, set in the late ’30s. I’ve used a lot of photos from some Richard Hendrickson books, and later, similar volumes from Ted Culotta, for either modifying existing models, or scratchbuilding cars suitable to my chosen prototypes.
    Ted’s contributions to RMC, in his “Essential Freight Cars” series, was what really got me interested in creating models appropriate to my modelled era.
    I’d offer some photos, but it appears they’re not permitted.

    My most recent project was converting a dozen Bowser (formerly Stewart) channel-sided two bay hoppers, modifying them to better represent those built in 1914 by National Steel Car, in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, for the TH&B railroad.
    Most of the real ones lasted into the ’60s, and a few in company service into the early ’70s. They ran on archbar trucks for their entire lifespan, as they were never used in interchange service.
    They did, however, take regular lake-boat rides from Port Dalhousie Ontario, on Lake Erie, to Ashtabula, Ohio, to be loaded with coal. The coal was not only for their locomotives, but also for the steel mills in Hamilton, where I was later employed.
    I do admit that not all of my rolling stock is era-appropriate, but most of it fits in well enough for my tastes.

    Regards,

    Wayne

  9. This is an amazing guide and helped me “trim down” my collection to more accurate rolling stock for the era I’m going to specialize in (20s/30s.) Note however, that the Great Northern reefer shown was usually produced post World War II with the 1936 goat, or the “side facing” goat, while the “forward facing goat” was more accurate for GN throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

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