Favorite Box Car

Living near the Burlington has a lot to do with it:

Rusty

My Milwaukee ribbed side box car . The prototype, were built In the Milwaukee Road  Car erecting shops in the Menomonee valley, and several hundred were built. The Model is brass and currently in primer waiting for, paint decals and Kadee's, I wish I hade a couple of dozen of them!

I am torn between two boxcars as my favorite. Though I don't have a pic of them as the focus of the pic, I have two Atlas Trainman NC&StL boxcars:

My other favorite is the box car pulled by AWVR #1206 that was destroyed by AWVR #777 in the movie Unstoppable:

My Lehigh Valley boxcar that I bought with my daughter (many years ago now) we washed it and put it against the electric base board heater to dry and forgot about it.  It melted so I put a hobo in the car and has been on the rails for over 20yrs. First car on the rails and last to come off during moves or new layouts.

God Speed, Thank a Vet.

My favorite is Jade Green New York Central....you can see a few in this picture....PennCentral count, too....

Here's the real thing, which I photographed in May 1984 in Rochester< NY.

Peter

Railbox, by a mile:

The Lionel #6468 B&O Auto Boxcar has always been my favorite, and came with my 1954 set 2227W. Still looks great, and I always liked the color.

Peter, I think I agree with you or possibly the NYC Pacemaker Car

I have always liked this Great Northern.

A have a favorite car, a Lionel Stroh's reefer, but no single boxcar that has any sentimental value for me.

So, if by favorite boxcar you mean the car most represented on my layout it would be the Atlas O X-29.  Really nicely detailed, heavy, tracks well, and just a great car.

@Arnold D. Cribari - I agree with you.  I love the cars that make noise.  At first, I was like who would want more noise?  Aren't the engines "loud" enough?  I started with the NYC Vision line passenger cars.  Those were on blow-out.  I then got a set of 3 UP/SP cars, and those are great.  The squeaks are fantastic.  Yesterday FedEx delivered the Armour stockyard 3 pack to me.  I unpacked them last night but didn't run them yet.  Today will be a good day for that since it snowed here in Chicago.

To answer the question - My favorite, Lionel Southern 6565 wave boxcar.  It's just a pretty car.   I am also a big big fan of the Atlas 40' billboard reefers.  All of them.  No one of them in particular stands out as THE car, but I have about 30 that I love to pull in a long steam led freight.

Nice topic.

John

Greg

www.youtube.com/trainbros89

All great contributions so far. All the other box cars shown in them have a lot of charm IMO.

I agree with Jay Jay that B & O boxcars are particularly attractive. Will post a photo of my favorite one shortly.

Arnold

Here it is:

Great topic Arnold, you've gotten some good answers for it too.  as for me, I have two favorites and probably more but I can't think of them right now but these two come to mind.  The first one is an Atlas Steam Era Classics, which if I'm not mistaken and someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this, are the old InterMountain or Red Caboose molds, Southern Pacific Outside Braced 40' cars.  The 2nd is also an Atlas Steam Era Classics, SP/UP PFE Steel Reefer.  To me, Atlas has the best tooling in the hobby.  Thanks for starting this topic.

You're very welcome, JEM.

Regarding the Lionel box car with Real Sounds, it's the orange box car in this train with a quiet running Williams F3 on the point. You can hear the squeaky brakes sounds with other sounds coming from this orange boxcar as the train comes around the bend in this video:

Well, there are lots of box cars. But my favorite is this one, because it reminds me of my childhood years growing up in eastern Idaho in the 1950s. My house was within a block of the Union Pacific mainline, with a few sidings off it. So a next-door neighbor friend and I would climb up the ladders of parked and braked box cars like this one when no one was looking. We didn't make it all the way to the top though, because we'd chicken out about halfway up, then come back down. 😳

I like the special run Atlas cars...this one commemorates the  Narraganset Brewing Co. in Cranston, RI from the '50's and 60's.  As a kid growing up not to far away, I could smell the "hops" on warm summer nights...

Not sure I can narrow it down to just one.  Here are my favorite Flyer tinplate boxcars

One more, a shorter version, made with 2 different numbers, 1112 and 1115

NWL

I have a couple:

I like Weaver boxcars (and their other cars).  Good mix of detail and affordability, at least for the more common runs.

I'm not a WP fan, but I bought a QSI Live Action Breaking Glass sound unit and needed an appropriately decorated boxcar for it

I also have a favorite "set" of box cars on display above my computer.

The display case has the first 6 MTH Premier box cars and the first 6 MTH Premier tank cars. None of them have ever seen the track, only the display case.

I have collected enough cars to simulate a 24 car length Santa Fe "fast freight" that features plenty of these types of insulated cars to go alongside TOFCs and auto parts boxcars.  In watching many videos of freight action from the past, the SFRCs always seemed to be near the headend of many priority freights.

This re-build is my favourite. New car ends, roof and doors and a ton of rivets! Very happy with the way it turned out so this is my favourite boxcar, for now.

@jbmccormick posted:

Yesterday FedEx delivered the Armour stockyard 3 pack to me.  I unpacked them last night but didn't run them yet.  Today will be a good day for that since it snowed here in Chicago.

John

I would love to hear the sounds of the new Lionel Vision Line 3 pack of Armour box cars. Arnold

First, an HO boxcar because I spent a morning with the owner on the WRWK back in 1972 as he and his wife (she ran the loco and he was the brakeman) while we switched the Ciby-Giegy chemical plant in Warwick, RI. While we were waiting at the PC interchange, one of the Amtrak turbos came through.

On to O scale; this Lykens Valley 86' Hi-Cube kit that I assembled sometime around 1976 or so. Ever try to put a four inch square decal on straight and smooth? I accomplished that; twice! There is one on each side. The SSC one was almost as bad!

These two Rat River cars are on the list just due to the name. I know nothing about them, they were gotten from two widely separated sources; one from Norm's O scale at a train show and the other from a west coast ebay seller. Note the weathering error on the first, the door was partly open when it was applied! On the other side the door was closed.

The State of Maine, simply because it was in my first set in '57.

When I was in undergrad, the Southern Pacific line through Tempe, AZ lay between my house and the campus. Many an hour I was held up watching long lines of these (and the less visually appealing Hydracushion variant) blocking traffic while undertaking painfully slow switching operations.

It took me 8 years to find this version in O. We should try to get MTH to do a special run of plain, early ‘90s SP boxcars. I think this may be Weaver but it didn’t come with a box. I also think it’s depicting a much older paint scheme but this is the closest I’ve come.

This is it.  Lionel Rock PS-1 from 2005-2006.  No rational explanation.  No nostalgic or emotional explanation.  Just like the color, graphics and details.

I'm with Peter - you just have to love NYC's jade green...

@midnightwrecking posted:

This re-build is my favourite. New car ends, roof and doors and a ton of rivets! Very happy with the way it turned out so this is my favourite boxcar, for now.

Dan, this car is truly a work of art. I can't imagine how you got the rivet detail on like that. Love the tuscan and wondering where you picked up original PGE decals. You must have owned a hobby shop at some point, "eh?".

@midnightwrecking posted:

This re-build is my favourite. New car ends, roof and doors and a ton of rivets! Very happy with the way it turned out so this is my favourite boxcar, for now.

I’ll add two more votes for jade green...

Make that three for jade green...

Those 86’ cars are really TOO big!!!

Few and far between.  John

@Virginian65 posted:

Dan, this car is truly a work of art. I can't imagine how you got the rivet detail on like that. Love the tuscan and wondering where you picked up original PGE decals. You must have owned a hobby shop at some point, "eh?".

Hah Hah! Yeah once upon a time. There are decal sheets available and a lot of the rivets are Archer decals and some were embossed and some rivets and bolt heads were placed from  Meng sets. The ends and doors were partially printed and then detailed up. The door slides were made from brass stock. The roof was built from styrene stock. Cheers.

Have to add this Utica Club box car to the list. I have many that I like but I bought this with my paper route money while in grammar school. And a history of family working at the Brewery.

another nice thread Arnold. God Speed!

A family Heirloom

My favorite boxcar is based purely on sentiment. My father had taken me to a school fair when I was about 6 years old and I never won a prize at all the games we played. He felt sorry for me and after we left the fair he surprised me when he drove to our local hobby shop where he bought me a 6464 Rutland box car as consolation.
This car enjoys pride of place in my collection as a reminder of my late father and how much he loved me.

He passed away in 2008 at the tender age of 91. Miss him every day….

Mack

Mine is the operating Merchandise car, followed by the Milk car - either 027 or 0.

Wow.  This is a tough one for me.  I feel as if boxcars are hard to categorize into a favorite as there are so many flavors of boxcars.  Funny thing is I do have a favorite passenger car and they are about as varied as well. 

I'll simply leave everyone with this video that has some of my favorite boxcars in it.

Hmm...lots of choices.

I've always liked this EL box car. It's MPC-era vintage and is part of one of the old Service Station Sets.

It has a unique shade of blue and contrasts well with the white lettering.

Its easy for me.  This one is my favorite:

It's my favorite because it's signed by some of my friends, one of which who is sadly no longer with us - Marty Fitzhenry.

And here is where it resides - just to the right of the coal tipple which is where you'll find me for part, if not all, of our shows:

-Greg

I built this from an Intermountain kit. It has Weaver 2-rail trucks and Kaydee 's on it. Will never be run but will sit on my 3-rail layout that is under construction!

@CAPPilot posted:

Ron,

That's an interesting sign on that car. From the presence of the French words, I'm assuming this is modeling the 1947 "Friendship Train"? If so - very cool! Did you add this sign yourself, was this a variation Atlas offered, or was this a custom run?

@GG1 4877 posted:

Wow.  This is a tough one for me.  I feel as if boxcars are hard to categorize into a favorite as there are so many flavors of boxcars.  Funny thing is I do have a favorite passenger car and they are about as varied as well.

I'll simply leave everyone with this video that has some of my favorite boxcars in it.

That is cool how many cars?

@Sitka posted:

That is cool how many cars?

I think this train was in the 50 car range.  The longest I've run on this layout has been 75 cars, but that was on the outside track without any significant grades.  It is the Paradise and Pacific Railroad club at the Scottsdale McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.  It is an awesome club with great people and a fun layout to operate and work on.  It is 32'x40' and has four mainlines to operate on.  The club record is around 140 cars, but they were all ore cars. 

Typically, the outside two tracks are on automatic control as the layout building is a public facility and we want trains always running when there are visitors.  However, they can be switched to user operation as well.  Here is old video of the outside track with another freight train being pulled by my Williams PAs.  I think a lot of the same cars are in this one too.

These two for me ......

@Prr7688 posted:

Ron,

That's an interesting sign on that car. From the presence of the French words, I'm assuming this is modeling the 1947 "Friendship Train"? If so - very cool! Did you add this sign yourself, was this a variation Atlas offered, or was this a custom run?

I forgot that I have the K-Line CB&Q Friendship Boxcar.  A really neat piece.

@GG1 4877 posted:

I think this train was in the 50 car range.  The longest I've run on this layout has been 75 cars, but that was on the outside track without any significant grades.  It is the Paradise and Pacific Railroad club at the Scottsdale McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.  It is an awesome club with great people and a fun layout to operate and work on.  It is 32'x40' and has four mainlines to operate on.  The club record is around 140 cars, but they were all ore cars.

Typically, the outside two tracks are on automatic control as the layout building is a public facility and we want trains always running when there are visitors.  However, they can be switched to user operation as well.  Here is old video of the outside track with another freight train being pulled by my Williams PAs.  I think a lot of the same cars are in this one too.

Very nice what else can I say!

Mark

@k-liner posted:

I built this from an Intermountain kit. It has Weaver 2-rail trucks and Kaydee 's on it. Will never be run but will sit on my 3-rail layout that is under construction!

I have run 2 rail cars on my 3 rail layout without major challenges.  They tend to bounce through the turnouts, but otherwise they work fairly well.

Just got this today from Mr. Muffins (got to stop looking at Steve’s emails )… this is the first car I’ve ever bought from the Milwaukee Road - I think it is stunning. Maybe a new favorite!!!

As much as I like Milwaukee Road and Illinois Central,  these two are my favorites - one a box car the other a tanker.  Worked for Liquid Carbonic for many years and then while at Liquid, worked with the "Persnickety Cheese People" at Sargento on several projects.  But I might have to pick up one of those Apples55's Milwaukee double door car from Mr. Muffin - nice looking Hiawatha!

This is an Atlas car, mine is 3 rail.

This is an MTH Premier

Scouting Dad, the Sargentos boxcar is one of my favorites as well. I had to have one as I live about 10 miles from Plymouth WI. The cheese capital of the world!

One of many.

This Heinz K-Line car is one of my favorites…it is rarely off the layout. 🚂😉😺

Johns trains, You are right. It came out of the Minneapolis and St Louis service station set. That set came with a black Sunoco triple dome tank car, a white circus  stock car, a a blue Erie box car, a red Minneapolis and St, Louis covered hopper and a red, white and blue Minneapolis and St Louis bay window caboose. Great looking set.

Several favorites, but this one reminds me of a family trip we took to the Grand Canyon

Maybe not most favorite but definitely most unique.

A MTH Premier modeled a "One of a Kind."

The actual real  "real" one at the NCTM.

Ron

@ScoutingDad posted:

As much as I like Milwaukee Road and Illinois Central,  these two are my favorites - one a box car the other a tanker.  Worked for Liquid Carbonic for many years and then while at Liquid, worked with the "Persnickety Cheese People" at Sargento on several projects.  But I might have to pick up one of those Apples55's Milwaukee double door car from Mr. Muffin - nice looking Hiawatha!

This is an Atlas car, mine is 3 rail.

This is an MTH Premier

Nice SD.

Received product on Sargento trucks for years.  Great people to work with , great product and excellent expiration dating and product codes all clearly indicated on packaging.    I guess they want to keep their consumers healthy and happy for a long time.

I think it is a good practice to be " Persnickety " 

Newest favorite box car

@jim sutter posted:

Johns trains, You are right. It came out of the Minneapolis and St Louis service station set. That set came with a black Sunoco triple dome tank car, a white circus  stock car, a a blue Erie box car, a red Minneapolis and St, Louis covered hopper and a red, white and blue Minneapolis and St Louis bay window caboose. Great looking set.

Right you are, Jim. This was the Lionel SSS for 1978. Great colorful set.

More favorites.  A couple of MPC boxcars repainted back in 85.

Buy savings bonds

Arnold,

I will make a video and post it here from my YouTube channel tonight.  The cars look great and I added them to my Legacy remote.  The cars come with cows.  I am not entirely sure how to get the cows into the cars, and wow are they huge.

John

@jbmccormick posted:

Arnold,

I will make a video and post it here from my YouTube channel tonight.  The cars look great and I added them to my Legacy remote.  The cars come with cows.  I am not entirely sure how to get the cows into the cars, and wow are they huge.

John

Thank you, John. I bet the sounds of the Visionline Armour cars include the mooing of cows, which would be very nice, especially as the train passes a farm on the layout.

Bad shot; part of a whole 'nuther set of recent photos.

It's from my original train set and layout, Xmas 1955. Some more of set is beyond boxcar. Has about a million miles on it. Looked so real when I was 7 - 12 or so.

Weaver   B&O wagon tops.

Regarding box cars, do you ever get this reaction from others (probably a relative): does it do anything or does it just sit there?

LOL

I've gotten that reaction, but us train buffs know how special box cars, especially our favorite ones, can be.

I just received this from my son for Christmas. Had this Atlas reefer on my list for some years, and he surprised me with it making it a special gift for sure. Came with a neat background story on the company's history too.

Tom

Lionel MPC era Maine Central #9753 from 1975.    It's been my favorite for 45+ years.

@JDFonz posted:

The cheese capital of the world!

🙄

Mine has to be my # 3424 Wabash Operating Brakeman car with original box. My dad purchased new back in the late 50's.

Hi Arnold,

In answer to your question, "Regarding box cars, do you ever get this reaction from others (probably a relative): does it do anything or does it just sit there?"

I'd pull out this one. 

Though I wouldn't say it's my favorite box car it does have a special place on the layout.  Over the course of my career, I supported the development of several different propulsion systems utilized in missile defense systems.  And no they didn't involve large springs!   

John

@Prr7688 posted:

Ron,

That's an interesting sign on that car. From the presence of the French words, I'm assuming this is modeling the 1947 "Friendship Train"? If so - very cool! Did you add this sign yourself, was this a variation Atlas offered, or was this a custom run?

I did that myself and it is pretty close to the actual sign used on the X-29.  I am building a Friendship Train with cars that are commercially available and with cars I can make. There are a lot of photos of the 200+ Friendship Train cars but most are blurry or at too much of an angle to clearly see the sign or the car it is on. Some are also too complicated.  I figure I have maybe 20 good designs, now I am looking for the correct cars to put them on.

I plan to pull them behind my PRR Centipedes, just like the real train was pulled through PA.

@CAPPilot posted:

I did that myself and it is pretty close to the actual sign used on the X-29.  I am building a Friendship Train with cars that are commercially available and with cars I can make. There are a lot of photos of the 200+ Friendship Train cars but most are blurry or at too much of an angle to clearly see the sign or the car it is on. Some are also too complicated.  I figure I have maybe 20 good designs, now I am looking for the correct cars to put them on.

I plan to pull them behind my PRR Centipedes, just like the real train was pulled through PA.

That should make one amazing train, Ron. I purchased the Friendship Train boxcars and coaches that Lionel issued last year. I really wish they would do another set (but not all 200+!!!). I found a picture where the train was pulled by a GG1, so I used my VisionLine version. Wish I had bought the centipede when it came out

Ride the Reading !

Had put these in "Pull out your MPC" but here are some more favorites. 

@CAPPilot posted:

I did that myself and it is pretty close to the actual sign used on the X-29.  I am building a Friendship Train with cars that are commercially available and with cars I can make. There are a lot of photos of the 200+ Friendship Train cars but most are blurry or at too much of an angle to clearly see the sign or the car it is on. Some are also too complicated.  I figure I have maybe 20 good designs, now I am looking for the correct cars to put them on.

I plan to pull them behind my PRR Centipedes, just like the real train was pulled through PA.

I think this is an extremely cool project!

Would you consider starting a topic/thread on the cars you have done so far?

Here are some of my favorites:

My rail box boxcar is my favorite.  Hobos seem to like it also!

@Tom Morris posted:

Here are some of my favorites:

@Tom Morris posted:

Here are some of my favorites:

Very nice group of southern railroad box cars!

This one is the wife's favorite. G.N.P.

Here’s my fav.

Kind of a Cincinnati thing.

Having spent 20 years designing meat processing equipment I have a soft spot in my heart for packing company themed steel side reefers. Here's an example  of the dozen or so cars I have from Intermountain, Atlas and MTH.

James

My favorite boxcars are the D&SL, which is that Austrian made kitcar painted, lettered, and trucked by me, and the Colorado Midland LaBelle?? built up box car off the bay, as was the CM reefer, which saved me from yet building my kit.

All favorites to me... all local...

@jrstengel posted:

Kind of a Cincinnati thing.

Ahhh... Skyline - a staple when I was at University of Dayton! Who made that car?

@BAR GP7 #63 posted:

ALRIGHT... ENOUGH  OF  THIS  Johan !!!

You are supposed to be showing boxcars from your layout ...........NOT the  REAL ONES.

.......nice work.....thanks for sharing .

My own railroad company.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

ALRIGHT... ENOUGH  OF  THIS  Johan !!!

You are supposed to be showing boxcars from your layout ...........NOT the  REAL ONES.

.......nice work.....thanks for sharing .

Dallas. Thanks again.

Johan

Johan, you’re blending of foreground modeling, and backgrounds is incredibly realistic! I can’t tell where one starts and the other ends. I think we need a tutorial!

@Artie-DL&W posted:

Johan, you’re blending of foreground modeling, and backgrounds is incredibly realistic! I can’t tell where one starts and the other ends. I think we need a tutorial!

Artie. Thanks a lot. I see the whole in my mind and try to move it into the modules of the view. I will be happy to give tips on Landscaping if anyone is interested in them.

Johan

@DaveP posted:

Ahhh... Skyline - a staple when I was at University of Dayton! Who made that car?

The car is from a recent special run from MTH by Dixie Union Station. They currently have several special runs in the works for other Cincinnati area favorites.

My favorite?

Would have to be this one:

That boxcar is the only survivor from my Lindberg Lines HO set I received for Christmas when I was 10 years old back in 1962.

The weathering on it is natural. PLUS... nothing is broken! It has ALL of its corner steps, even!

Every time it glides by in a train, or when handling it during a switching move, the warm feelings I get seeing it makes me smile. This car has run countless laps on simple carpet layouts, and has been in service on EVERY operational HO layout I've built (six of them) since 1962. No doubt it's mileage would be counted in actual miles.

Andre

I recently learned about this Northern New England short line...