PS-1 BOXCARS
Pullman Standard introduced their PS-1 boxcar in 1947, building over 76,000 cars over the next two decades. With few exceptions, the PS-1 featured welded ten-panel sides and standard roof and ends. However, there were a number of different door types and widths used. Full PS-1 rosters are available on the Railgoat website as well as the March, 1993 issue of Railmodel Journal, which is archived online by Scaletrains.
A brief overview of PS-1 models available in N-scale:
ATLAS MASTER LINE- Atlas introduced their Master Line PS-1 in 2012 which features five different door types and three door widths so each model accurately represents their prototype. These state-of-the-art models also feature body mounted couplers and etched metal running boards.
MICRO-TRAINS- Introduced in 1972, the Micro-Trains 20000 series was
a great leap forward for N-scale. The model features operating six-foot doors with either Youngstown or seven-panel Superior doors. Hundreds of schemes have been released over the years, with most representing similar cars from other builders.
ATLAS TRAINMAN- Introduced in the mid-seventies, this model features an eight-foot Pullman Standard door. Initially made in the United States, production was later moved to China. These models have decent graphics with a number of models representing the PS-1.
BACHMANN- The original 5000 series models were introduced in 1969 and made in Hong Kong. The later 70000 “Silver Series” models were made in China. Like the Atlas Trainman model, it features an eight-foot Pullman Standard door.
MODEL POWER- Model Power’s model is made in China and appears to be a copy of the Atlas Trainman series models.
MINITRIX / ROCO- Minitrix introduced a PS-1 in 1968 in four rather poorly done schemes. Made in Austria by Roco, it was later released under the Roco name with improved graphics. Once again, the model featured an eight-foot Pullman Standard door.
As with many early N-scale models, the majority of schemes offered represent generic models of popular railroads rather than accurate models of the PS-1. In addition, the ridges on the Pullman Standard door panels of all of these early models appear to be exaggerated.
PS-1 BOXCARS WITH PULLMAN STANDARD DOORS
ATLAS, BACHMANN, MINITRIX and ROCO
The chart below is a comprehensive list of PS-1 boxcars with Pullman Standard doors. Except where noted, all cars had eight-foot doors. Cars that were equipped with roller bearing trucks are indicated by an (RB). A catalog number with an asterisk indicates that the models are not numbered for the correct series. A catalog number in brackets indicates a model that could be patched to represent the prototype. Additional notes on individual railroads are as follows:
CENTRAL RAILROAD OF NEW JERSEY (CNJ)- I could find no evidence that any of CNJ’s group of PS-1’s were ever painted in the red “Coast Guard” Scheme. Both the Atlas Trainman (3410) and Master Line (50003970) are numbered for a series of ACF cars with five panel Superior doors.
CONRAIL (CR)- Although at least 43 Central of New Jersey PS-1 boxcars went into Conrail, I could find no evidence that any were ever painted in a full Conrail scheme. Model Power 3435 is numbered for a series of fifty-foot double door boxcars.
GREEN MOUNTAIN (GMRC)- The Incentive Per Diem boxcar boom of the late seventies included rebuilt forty footers. Green Mountain Railroad leased a fleet of rebuilt boxcars from Itel in 1979. They had nine-foot Pullman Standard doors and a fishbelly side sill.
LOUISVILLE & NASHVILLE (L&N)- In the early fifties, the “Old Reliable” received a total of 3,175 PS-1 boxcars with eight-foot doors. In the sixties, many of them were rebuilt with “DF” loading devices and renumbered into several series. These cars were painted in a blue scheme to indicate special equipment, with some series receiving Pullman Standard doors. Bachmann 5062 is numbered for a series rebuilt in 1964, however I was unable to find a photo to confirm the type of door used so the series is included as a definite “maybe”. Atlas 3412 is decorated in the same scheme as the Bachmann model, but carries an incorrect three-digit road number. Micro-Trains 24120 represents a series rebuilt in the late sixties with six-panel Superior doors. However, photos show that two other series, 12100-12999 and 93400-93999, had Pullman Standard doors.
ROCK ISLAND (RI / ROCK)- In the late seventies, the Rock began converting hundreds of their PS-1’s to type XF cars for food loading by applying an interior epoxy coating. These refurbished cars also received the blue “Rock” scheme and had their running boards removed. Chicago & North Western purchased many of their PS-1’s when the Rock folded in 1980, separating the XM and XF cars into different series. Photos show that nearly all of the XM cars still wore their as-built paint schemes, while nearly all of the XF cars wore the blue “Rock” scheme.
UNION PACIFIC (UP)- Atlas 50003980 has Youngstown doors. While the roster and most photographs indicate the series was equipped with Pullman-Standard doors. However, a single photograph taken in 1979 shows car 126176 in its as-delivered paint scheme and Youngstown doors.
40’SLIDING-DOOR HI-CUBE BOXCARS
MICRO-TRAINS
The adoption of tri-level auto rack flatcars prompted the railroad industry to begin raising height clearances on their main lines. This led to the development of hi-cube boxcars, which were primarily used by the auto industry. In the late sixties, forty-foot high-cube boxcars were developed for shipping household appliances. While these cars had the same cubic capacity as a standard fifty-foot boxcar, they allowed for more efficient use of the space by providing more height for stacking appliances. They were also compatible with older warehouses whose doors were spaced for forty-foot boxcars,
Micro-Trains introduced an N-scale model of a Pullman Standard forty-foot hi-cube boxcar with 10’6” sliding doors in 2005. The prototypes were sold to at least six railroads with two more acquiring them through merger. In addition, five railroads rostered similar cars from other builders. Total numbers were small, and paint schemes varied depending on the loading devices installed in the cars. The chart below is a comprehensive listing of forty-foot hi-cube boxcars. An asterisk in the ROAD column indicates car series that differ from the model as noted below.
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE- Santa Fe’s boxcars were built in two lots by Transco and featured nine-foot Youngstown doors with straight side sills. The second lot carried a black DF logo in the upper right corner.
CHICAGO & NORTH WESTERN- CNW’s cars were built by Maxon and featured six-panel Superior doors.
ST. LOUIS SOUTHWESTERN and SOUTHERN PACIFIC- Espee and Cotton Belt rebuilt standard boxcars into hi-cubes in 1964-1965. These rebuilds were about six inches lower than other hi-cubes, had Youngstown doors and a horizontal riveted seam where the roof was raised.
UNION PACIFIC- Union Pacific’s first appliance cars were built from standard double-door cars by raising the roof but not the doors. Since these cars bore so little resemblance to any N-scale model, they are not included in the chart below. Micro-Trains 10100040 represents three groups of cars constructed in UP’s Omaha shops; they were equipped with Youngstown doors bracketed by triangular gussets.
40’ PLUG-DOOR HI-CUBE BOXCARS
BACHMANN
Bachmann introduced an N-scale model of a Union Pacific forty-foot BF-50-4 hi-cube boxcar with ten-foot plug doors in 1972. The original release (catalog # 5125) was a nice release for its time, but looks a bit dated today. The second “Silver Series” release (catalog #71251) has much sharper printing, while the third release (catalog # 18254) features a consolidated stencil, an ACI placard and a wheel inspection dot which dates it to 1978 or later. Only the Union Pacific owned plug-door cars, so most of the other road names offered by Bachmann are stand-ins for sliding door cars.
40’ RIB-SIDE HI-CUBE BOXCARS
BACHMANN
Bachmann introduced an N-scale model of Southern Pacific’s B-70-36 boxcars in 1972. The prototype was built by Pacific Car and Foundry in 1966, and featured six-panel ribbed sides with 10’6” Youngstown doors. These cars were unique to the Southern Pacific and St. Louis Southwestern. The original release included six roadnames, four of which never owned forty-foot hi-cubes of any kind (B&O, GN, PC, SCL). Recent releases include three roadnames which are stand-ins for smoothside cars, but sadly, did not include Southern Pacific or Cotton Belt.
