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Freight Cars - Box Cars Articles

"Urban Ore" Carriers: Modeling EMAX Cars

Prototype and model photos accompany this article about 60-foot boxcars that carry municipal waste. There is a sidebar on how to make the car's decals using WordPerfect for DOS.

2-foot Gauge Bridgton & Harrison Railroad Boxcar #56

Scale drawings of this car.

29,000 Boxcars - Modeling the Ubiquitous X29 Parts 1-3

A duplication of the 2004 series of TKM articles about this car.

29,000 Boxcars Modeling the Ubiquitous X29 Part 1

The introduction to the series starts off by reviewing the history of the PRR X29, which were built starting in 1924. Many other railroads copied this design. This article covers the number series, the variations, and lettering schemes applied. Includes several prototype photos.

29,000 Boxcars Modeling the Ubiquitous X29 Part 2

This installment covers the express versions of this box car. Includes a break-down of the series numbers, lettering schemes used, and prototype photos.

40' Hi-cube Boxcar Kitbash

The author builts his model from two American Models 40-foot plug-door cars. Includes a materials list, drawings, and some photos of the model under construction and completed.

40-foot AAR 50-ton Box Cars With 4/4 Improved Dreadnaught Ends Part III

Prototype and model photos of box cars, including kits from Branchline and C&BT Shops.

60' Auto Box Car

Greenville-built box cars for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad to transport Ford vehicles. The article covers ways to build this car, and includes scale drawings and model photos.

A Brief History Of Mopac's Fleet Of XME Steel Rebuilds Used In Eagle Merchandise Service For L.C.L.

Covers these early-1950s cars. Includes one prototype photo and an advertisement poster.

A Close Up Look at Pre-Size Models New Southern Pacific Class A-50-6 Auto/Box Car

A brief overview of the car.

A Tale of Two Box Cars

The author describes how he built two Pacific Rail Shops 1937 AAR box cars, one as per the instructions (an ATSF Bx-27), and one with lots of extra detailing (NKP). Includes several close-up photos and a parts list for the NKP car.

AAR 50-foot Steel Cars

A photo essay article of several box cars.

AAR 50-foot Steel Cars Part III

This installment covers the full-opening end door version of these box cars. Includes a few prototype and model photos.

ABCs of Boxcars

Describes the history and evolution of boxcars.

ABOX: A Two-door Version of the Railbox Part 1

Railbox is made up of high quality, free-running, general-service boxcars capable of running all of the nation. ABOX refers to those boxcars with 16-foot door openings rather than the default 10 feet. It has a 6-foot plug door added to the standard 10-foot door. These started appearing in May of 1978. The article includes prototype photos and scale drawings.

Adding Details to AM 40 Foot Boxcars

The author admits to not knowing what the prototype for the American Models' 40-foot box car is, but he does describe how he added some more details to the model to enhance its appearance. Several close-up photos are included.

Adding Operating Doors to Pacific Rail Shop Boxcars

Step-by-step instructions and a few diagrams show how to make these kits have movable doors.

Aging Boxcar Out On The Line

The author bought a used MTH 34' box car that he converted into a more accurate model.

Assembling 40' PRS Boxcars

The author shares some of his thoughts and experiences building the Pacific Rail Shops box cars, which are easy enough to assemble.

Baltimore & Ohio M-53 and M-53A Wagontop Boxcars Part 1

This installment starts off by describing the historical information about these two cars. Includes a table on the lettering schemes used by the B&O, and several prototype and model photos.

Bangor & Aroostook Newsprint Boxcar in HO

Prototype and model photos.

Bowser's PRR X31

This is an advertisement for Bowser's PRR X31, but it contains some prototype information and a prototype photo.

Box Car Conversions Part 2

The author continues the project of converting S-Helper Service box cars into unique models, which in this installment covers the Wabash door-and-a-half box car.

Box Car Conversions Part 3

The author modifies an S-Helper Service double-sheathed USRA box car to match a GN prototype. The second project is taking an SHS box car and putting a Pacific Rail Shops viking roof on it to build a C&NW-prototype box car.

Box Car Lumber Loading

How lumber is loaded into box cars (circa 1990). Includes prototype photos, and an interior loading plan diagram.

Boxcar Grain Door Panels

How grain door panels were made for box cars.

Boxcar Questions

When were running boards banned? Did boxcars haul grain?

Boxcars for the Fun of It

The author describes how he built a fleet of boxcars from blocks of wood. Several variations are presented. Includes construction photos, detail drawings, parts list, and completed models photos.

Building a 1970s Grain Boxcar Fleet Part 6

This installment covers the M&StL box cars that the C&NW received after the acquisition. Includes model and prototype photos, as well as drawings. The author continues by showing the construction of Red Caboose's 1937 AAR Standard box cars.

Building a 1970s Grain Boxcar Fleet Part 7

This installment covers modeling former Chicago Great Western cars, which were acquired after 1968. Includes drawings, prototype photos, and a step-by-step guide to building the Kadee PS1 cars used to model these cars.

Building a 1970s Grain Boxcar Fleet Part 8

This article is about modeling original C&NW and CStPM&O welded PS-1 cars. Includes diagrams and photos of prototype and model cars.

Building a B&O M-25 Box Car Using Traditional Old School Methods

The author describes his process of converting an A.C. Gilbert American Flyer box car into a reasonable likeness of the B&O car. Includes several close-up photos.

Building a Funaro & Camerlengo X37A

The author describes his process for building this kit. Includes construction and finished photos.

Building a Rock Island Fowler Box Car

After telling the history of the Fowler-designed box car, the author briefly describes the S Scale America kits he built, but the main focus of the article is the work he did to model a specific Rock Island box car, which required some kitbashing. Construction is shown in a photo essay.

Building a Westerfield Models HO Scale X23 Boxcar

After providing a bit of prototype history on these cars, the author describes the process of building the Westerfield kit.

Building an FJ&G Boxcar

The author super-details a Reynolds 40-foot box car to make one for the Fonda, Johnstown & Gloversville RR. Includes a drawing of the underbody details, side skirts, steps, ladders, grab irons, doors, tack boards, ends hardware, poling pockets, brake platform, and brake details. Also includes a prototype photo.

Building An Old Rex Kit Part 1

The author found an old Rex wooden outside-braced box car kit and shares how he built it. Includes many construction photos.

Building An Old Rex Regal Kit Pt. 2

In part 1, the author introduced working on this kit wherein he identified the manufacturer as being "Rex Engineering", but actually it is "Regal Kits", which he corrects in this article. This installment covers finalizing and painting the model.

Building And Detailing a Vintage House Car Kit

Using a Scenery Unlimited resin box car, the author describes how to properly prepare and build these types of kits. Include three built model photos.

Central Vermont Single-sheathed Auto Cars

This article covers the CN-subsidiary's automobile box cars, which were also used by the Grand Trunk Western, and how they were used over time. Includes prototype photos and scale drawings. A brief note on how to model these in HO-scale is also included.

CGW X29 Hide Car

The author modeled this car using a Walthers Mainline X29 model. Includes one prototype photo and several completed-model photos.

Changing the Ends on a Perfectly Good Brass Boxcar

By changing the ends of a River Raisin Models X33a, the author produced an X32a.

CP Rail 1929-built Steel Boxcars

The development and history of this 40-foot car, of which there were 7,500, with some lasting into the 1970s. Includes many prototype photos.

Crown Custom Imports X30 Boxcar Model

Includes the prototype history, followed by a description of the product review of the Crown Custom Imports model of this 74-foot 1931 boxcar.

Detailing a Boxcar

The author reviews the S-Helper Service single-sheathed box car, and offers suggestions for how to improve it even more. He discusses ways to improve the center and side sills, the brake components (depending on era modeled), the grab irons next to the coupler pockets, the changing to a vertical brake wheel (which requires additional parts), and adding cut levers. Several photos are included of project cars.

Detailing a Conrail 86-foot Auto Parts Boxcar

Three Walthers boxcars are used to show how the author updated them with crossover platforms, coupler pockets, uncoupling levers, airhoses, brake lines, and replacing the trucks with the correct ones.

Detailing a M&St.L 1937 AAR Boxcar

Includes model and prototype photos of this car modeled in HO-scale. Also includes several historical scale drawings.

Detailing an Apalachicola Northern, ex-East Camden & Highland, FMC Boxcar

The author discusses the modifications he made to the MDC's model of this prototype. The weathering on the author's model is particularly striking (rust spots).

Detailing and Weathering Wood-sheathed Boxcars

The author describes his unique method for artificially creating shadow using pencils on his models.

Detailing Athearn Sieco and Branchline Berwick Boxcars

Prototype and model photos. Detailed photos of constructing the grab irons. Painting and weathering shows how to simulate a boxcar belonging to a former railroad but that name has been over-painted.

Detailing the Pacrail Northern Pacific Boxcar

The author describes how he super-detailed the Pacific Rail Shops' 50-foot NP box car.

Details Make the Difference

Taking two American Models box cars, Jon Firpach has done a lot of detailing to them so that you can't tell that they started life as the same models. Includes many close-up photos showing the details added.

Essential Freight Cars 37

This installment covers the B&O's M-26 series box cars, of which there were 13,000. Includes many prototype photos, production data, and how to model it in HO-scale.

Essential Freight Cars Part 1

The first installment of an on-going series of articles that cover the transition era. The first article covers the St. Louis - San Francisco single-sheathed boxcar. Includes prototype photos, builder's roster, available HO models, and a sidebar on the tools needed to modify those models.

Essential Freight Cars Part 14

In this installment the author covers the USRA 50-ton, single-sheathed box cars. Includes prototype and model photos of several railroads' cars, including the PRR X26 and X26c.

Essential Freight Cars Part 16

This installment covers the USRA 40-ton, double-sheathed box car designed during WWI. Includes prototype and model photos of several railroads' cars.

Essential Freight Cars Part 2

This installment covers the 1937 Great Northern's double-sheathed boxcars. Includes prototype photos, a roster listing, and lots of how-to-model information. A sidebar describes how to build an accurate, rectangular box.

Essential Freight Cars Part 23

This installment covers the B&O "wagontop" box cars, such as the M-15, M-53, and M-53A, and how to model them in HO-scale. The second half of the article covers the Milwaukee Road's ribbed-side box cars and how to model them in HO-scale. A side-bar on the PRR's X37 is also included. All have prototype photos.

Essential Freight Cars Part 23

1932 ARA 40-foot steel boxcars owned by the MP, SAL, and WM. Includes model and prototype photos.

Essential Freight Cars Part 27

This article covers the PRR's X31 round-roof boxcars. Includes many prototype photos and some modeling photos.

Essential Freight Cars Part 28

Lehigh Valley "Wrong-way" boxcars. Includes model and prototype photos.

Essential Freight Cars Part 32

Soo Line single-sheathed boxcars. The Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie purchased 750 of these cars in 1912. The article has model and prototype photos and a modelers parts list.

Essential Freight Cars Part 33

This installment covers the Santa Fe's rebuilt USRA reefers. Includes prototype and model photos.

Essential Freight Cars Part 35

This is the first of two installments covering the Pennsylvania X29 boxcar, of which there were almost 19,000 on the road. Several prototype photos are included. The last part of the article covers how to model this car in HO-scale, with several finished model photos.

Essential Freight Cars Part 36

This is the second installment of the PRR X29 box car. Also covered are the X28 automobile transport cars, and how to model both in HO scale.

Essential Freight Cars Part 4

Prototype and model photos of the NP's 10000-series double-sheathed boxcars. It has an excellent sidebar on how to make grab irons.

Essential Freight Cars Part 5

St. Louis Southwestern's (Cotton Belt) double-sheathed boxcars which were built from 1923 to 1925. Includes prototype photos, and many model photos. A side bar on modeling AB brakes is also included.

Essential Freight Cars Part 6

The article covers the Southern Pacific's single-sheathed boxcars, and modeling the B-50-13 and -14 cars. A side bar on modeling KC brakes and release rods is included. Several close-up detail photos of the model are also included.

Freelanced Three Footers

Based on the D&RG design, these four-wheeled cars were made from various commercial parts. The article include model photos, scale drawings, and a parts list.

Freight Car Modifications Part I

This article starts with how the author super-detailed two S-Helper Service box cars.

Freight Car Modifications Part II

Covers the modifications the author made to the S-Helper Service door-and-a-half Wabash box cars.

Freight Car Modifications Part III

This installment covers the construction of Great Northern single steel door re-build box car (S-Helper Service), a double-sheathed door-and-a-half box car, a Locomotive Workshop steel box car, and a flat car (based on an American Flyer metal tank car frame).

Freight Car Modifications Part IV

This installment covers a CNW Viking roof box car, which was based on an S-Helper Service box car and a Pacific Rail Shops viking roof.

Further Detailing of the Athearn PS-5344 Boxcar

Using this boxcar model, the author created a model of the KCS #250236. Includes prototype and model photos.

Getting Real

The author covers box cars for his layout, such as the Central Vermont 40000-series Howe Truss box cars, the 41000-series 1-1/2 door box cars, and the 42000, 43000, and 44000-series.

Grain Era Authenticity

Kevin Domrois builds a grain door for an N-scale Micro Trains Line 40' box car and N-scale laser etched wood box car grain door panels from Great Lakes Models. Includes step-by-step photos and instructions.

How To: Scale Trains Evans Boxcar Kit

Only a couple of simple tools are needed to build one of these kits.

IPD, Railbox & Other Cars From the Box Car Boom of the 70s Part 1

Covered are Athearn (HO), Accurail (HO, American Models (S), Weaver (O), and Micro-Trains (Z). This article is basically a prototype-photo essay of many box cars.

It Ain't Prototype

Visitors to your layout may make fun of your numbering a box car "123456", but the PRR had just such a box car, and a prototype photo in the article proves it. Also shown is a prototype photo of a car numbers' paint appearing to have "melted", much like a bad decal job.

Kitbash a PRR X42 Mail Storage Car in N Scale

The PRR merged two box cars into one 60-foot car with two doors. The author built his model from two Intermountain 50' box cars.

Kitbashing a Modern Conrail Plug Door Boxcar

Two MDC kits were used to build this model of the 60-foot car that was new in 1993. Includes prototype and model photo, and drawings.

Kitbashing a Santa Fe Bx-108 Boxcar

Model photos and scale drawings.

L&NE ARA Boxcar Upgrade

Includes prototype and model photos, as well as "surgical" photos of the upgrading the author did to his out-of-production Train-Miniatures "X-29" boxcars. Includes a detailing parts list.

Let's Build Something

The author describes how he built an Intermountain O-scale box car. Includes lots of progress photos.

Let's Build Something

The author describes the kit and how he built the Sylvan Scale Models 1929 CNR 40' single-sheathed box car.

Let's Build Something

The author takes the reader step-by-step through the process of building an S Scale America (Des Plaines Hobbies) PRR X29 box car kit. Includes lots of photos.

Let's Build Something

The author, primarily an O-scale modeler, tackles a Pacific Rail Shops S-scale box car kit, to see how it differs from a typical Intermountain O-scale kit.

Let's Make some "Custom" Box Cars

The author takes a few S-Helper Service box cars and describes how he has modified them to make them unique. Changes include painting and lettering, making a door-and-a-half car, removing door stops, and replacing a roof. Final model photos of each are shown.

Lowering InterMountain N-scale Boxcars

Milwaukee Road Boxcars

Prototype photos and a scale drawing of the unique ribbed-side house cars.

Model of the Month

The last page of the issue has a photo of the author's scratchbuilt model of a Pacific Electric single-sheathed 40-foot box car in No. 1 scale (1:32 proportion), realistically weathered.

Modeler's Guide to Steel Boxcars

This is a good article for learning how to differentiate steel box cars. It covers 40- and 50-foot cars. Includes a mix of prototype and model photos.

Modeling a C&O Twelve-panel Side PS-1 Boxcar

The author used an Intermountain kit to build this model. Includes prototype and model photos, including construction close-ups. The article has a sidebar on how to model rivets using the Archer Fine Transfers, which are decal-like sheets that allow modeling of straight rows of rivets.

Modeling a Muncie & Western R.R. Wood Boxcar

The article covers how to build an outside-braced model of this well-known glass-jar logo boxcar. Includes many prototype photos, boxcar ORER, model construction photos, and a parts list.

Modeling an Illinois Central Boxcar

Building a replica of the IC's 11280 boxcar. Mostly text, not many step-by-step photos.

Modeling Modern Short Line Boxcars

The author describes how one could model the unique short line boxcars with custom decals. Includes scale drawings of a typical ACF Railbox car.

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad's Box Car Fleet Part 8

This installment covers modeling the PRR's X26c using the Sunshine resin kit. Includes model and prototype photos, service information,

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad's Box Car Fleet Part 8A

This installment focuses on the Pennsy's X26c kit by Funaro & Camerlengo. Includes model and prototype photos.

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad's Box Car Fleet Part 9

Discusses the PRR's X37b class using the Sunshine resin kit. Includes a full description of the prototype, with photos of the prototype and the model.

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad's Boxcar Fleet Part 2

The article is an overview of the classes in service from 1944 to 1968. The meat of the article is two tables, one listing all the boxcar classes and the other listing the possible models for these classes (HO-scale only).

Modeling the PRR Boxcar Fleet Part 3

This installment covers the Class C29b. Detailed history, rebuilding information, prototype photos, and references are included.

Modeling the PRR Boxcar Fleet Part 3A

Describes how the author created an accurate model of this car. The article includes many large close-up photos, a scale drawing of the prototype car, and a sidebar and what models are available in HO, N, and O-scale.

Modeling Those Green M&St.L Boxcars

The M&St.L had 700 boxcars built in 1952 that were painted a signature green. In addition to the history, the author also describes how to model this car.

Modeling Western Pacific's Pullman Boxcars

The article is about using 3D-printing technology to design and build this model.

Modern Modeling

The author won the Weathering contest at the recent NASG Convention, and so in this article he describes how he painted and weathered his Pacific Rail Shops 50-foot box car. Includes a couple of model photos.

Modern Modeling

Modeling a Chessie box car using the Pacific Rail Shops' 50' double-door box car kit. The major focus of the article is on the application of the decals.

Modern Modeling ABOX, The Other Railbox

In 1978 and 1979, Pacific Car & Foundry built 400 special cars for Railbox which were non-cushioned underframe, 50-foot, AAR class "XM", plate C, combination-door box cars. This article covers how the author built one such car. Includes prototype and construction photos, scaled drawings, and a parts list.

Modifying Pacific Rail's 50' Boxcars

The author shares the modifications he has made to the Pacific Rail Shops' 50-foot box cars to make them even more accurate, and more specific to particular railroads' versions. Includes photos and detail-drawings.

MW Service X23 at Eastern Shore Railway Museum

A single photo sparked this one-page article about PRR #499303, a class X23 box car. The PRR adopted the X23 box car as its standard in 1912.

N Scale Milwaukee Road Ribbed-side Boxcars

The author kitbashed some 40-foot boxcars to include the horizontal rib configuration.

NCNG Boxcar No. 36

The mysterious history of this Nevada County Narrow Gauge RR boxcar revealed by newly discovered photos. Includes prototype photos and scale drawings.

New Southern Pacific 50 foot Automobile Car Kit by Pre-Size

The author reviews the kit by Pre-Size Model Specialties of their SP A-50-6 box car. Note that at the time of this article, the company had not yet released their truck kit for this car, which is now available via their web site. Issues found with the kit were fed back to the owner, and subsequent kits were corrected based on the author's findings.

O Scale X29 Kit

A quick review and a couple of photos of the O-scale kit produced by Des Plaines Hobbies.

Ocean Spray Boxcars

The author provides some prototype history, and then shows how he scratchbuilt the box cars, mostly out of wood, just like the prototype. Contains lots of photos, as well as scaled drawings.

Oh What You Can Learn From a Photo!

The subject is an X29 NYC box car. A model can be built from the S Scale America X29 PRR box car.

Ontario Midland box car

Oliver Clubine from Brantford, Ontario, Canada, built the S-scale box car featured in a photo from an S-Helper Service outside-braced box car.

Painting, Lettering, and Weathering Baltimore & Ohio M-53 and M-53A Wagontop Boxcars

This installment continues the last issue's article, this time covering the decorating of the models, accompanied by step-by-step lettering photos. A materials list is also provided.

Pennsylvania 1893 Heater Boxcar

These PRR cars were used to transport perishable items during the winter. A heater under the floor prevented the contents from freezing. The author scratchbuilt his model from wood and plastic details. The article also includes a scaled drawing, model photos, construction detail drawings, and a parts list.

Pennsylvania Class X23 Boxcar

The author improves the Cannonball Car Shops' kit, which has some issues that don't compare well with the prototype. The article includes a bit of history on this car built by the PRR starting in 1912 (over 7,000 of them). Model construction photos and diagrams, as well as a parts list are included. Also included is one prototype photo and scaled drawings.

Pennsylvania Railroad X-29 Box Cars

(the title of the article uses "X-29", but the correct PRR notation is "X29"; the article's text uses the correct notation) This article covers the history of switching from wooden box cars to all-steel box cars in the early 1900s, briefly covers the X26, and then delves into the history of the X28 and X29 box cars. Includes many prototype photos.

Pennsylvania X45 50' Boxcars

After a brief history of this car, the author describes how he modified an Accurail's 50' AAR car to build his model. Includes many model and prototype photos, and a sidebar called the "Guide to PRR Boxcar Lettering Schemes".

Protofile Part 61

This installment covers the Souther Pacific cushion underframe boxcars and how to model them.

Prototype Freelancing an Old Style Kit

The author describes how he built a 50-foot Southern Pacific box car out of two 40-foot Ye Olde Huff 'n Puff box car kits (now owned by LaBelle Woodworking). Includes construction and final-model photos.

PRR's Eastman Boxcars

The Eastman heated box car is described on pages 290-291 of John White's book, The American Railroad Freight Car, reprinted here.

PRRPro Class X31 Preliminary Feature

Includes only model photos.

PRS Boxcar Assembly

Tips and photos on how to successfully build the Pacific Rail Shops kits that nearly all S-scale modelers have in their closet.

Pullman Mini-Hy-Cube Boxcar

A brief article on this car includes scale drawings and a prototype photo.

Roll Your Own Boxcar Door Battens

Battens were a large sheet of heavy paper nailed over the door opening which helped to protect cargo against damage from the weather, dust, and cinders. This article describes how to model them. Includes a copy of the AAR pamphlet from December 1941.

Santa Fe Beer Cars

This article describes the 62-foot long insulated boxcars that are assigned to transporting beer for the Coors company. The article includes model and prototype photos and detailed construction photos of where the author took the Eel River Models car and converted it into one of these models.

Scale Scene

The author reviews, in depth, the Kaslo PS-1 resin box car kit.

Scale Scene

The author reviews the Standard Railway Castings Company kit of the Great Northern double-sheathed, 40' box cars.

Scale Scene

The author describes how he adds details to his American Models box cars.

Scale Scene

The author continues the series on how he adds details to his American Models box cars. This installment covers the brake system.

Scale Scene

The author continues the series on how he adds details to his American Models box cars. This installment covers the roof walk, end steps, end details, and air release rod.

Scratchbuilding C&NW Narrow Gauge Boxcar No. 10

This article includes many prototype photos, scale drawings, construction photos, and a bill of materials for modeling this car.

Scratchbuilding Santa Fe's BX-9 Box Car

A brief article and one photo of the box car the author built out of styrene, polyurethane castings, and brass, with the only commercial parts being the brake cylinder, brakewheel, trucks, and couplers.

Seaboard Airline Class B6 Boxcar

This model was based on the Red Caboose PRR X29 box car. The author improved and weathered the model. Includes many close-up photos and one prototype photo.

Sn3 Box Cars From HO Kits

The author describes converting older MDC box car and reefer kits into good facsimiles of Sn3 box cars. Includes several construction photos.

SOO and GN 5-foot Box Cars From Accurail's HO Scale Kits

The author changed the doors to plug doors to model SOO Line grain-loading cars, and to duplicate some Great Northern cars. Includes prototype and model photos.

TCAX Thrall Door Car

Just a photo and a parts list for how to create one of these all-door box car models using a Life-Like model.

TH&B Boxcar Bash

The author takes an old Locomotive Works 40-foot box car kit and makes it into a reasonable model given the kit's limitations. Includes construction photos and a parts list.

The B&O Wagontop Box Car

History, prototype photos, and scaled drawings of this iconic car.

The Box Car Fleet of the Fifties

This article covers the various ways that box cars were made in the 1940s and 50s. The sides, ends, and roofs are discussed so that it is easy to identify what kind of box car a certain one is.

The First Five Years of RBOX 10013

The article details the history of this one box car with a listing of all the other boxcars, a map of the interchange points where this particular car has been sighted, and many close-up photos of the car.

The Milwaukee Road Horizontal Ribbed Box Cars

A complete history of these unique cars, with lots of prototype photos.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Round Roof Boxcars

A detailed history of the PRR's 40-foot X31-series of cars. Also covered are the 50-foot X32 and X33 cars. Includes many prototype photos.

The Pennsylvania X-29 Boxcar

This is a product review of the Red Caboose HO-scale model of the PRR X29, which contains lots of prototype information as well.

TTX Company's "TBOX"

This article is a photo essay of the modern boxcar (starting in 2003).

Underbody Details for the American Models Boxcar

Step-by-step instructions and various diagrams show how to add the brake rigging, and center sill flanges. These reference the older American Models box cars that were sold as kits.

Union Pacific's Boxcars Part 5

This prototype photo article shows various boxcars owned by railroads merged into the UP.

USRA Derivative Steel Boxcars

This article covers a particular sub-set of box cars (the article is somewhat confusing). It includes a number of prototype photos, as well as scaled drawings.

USRA Single-sheathed boxcars

A brief description about these types of cars with a prototype photo of a Colorado & Southern example.

USRA Steel Boxcar

A history of the box car that was never actually built, and how that led to many railroads creating their own version of this car after WWI.

What's On Your Workbench?

The author describes how he fabricated a British box car/wagon. Include a couple of construction photos and two final photos.

What's On Your Workbench?

The author shares how he modeled two Universal Cement box cars.

Workshop

The author covers how to model brake gear, using a typical 40-foot box car as a guide in a diagram. Includes information about how the brake system changed over the years. Also includes a photo of a prototype tank car.