ATSF POSTWAR AAR BOX CARS

Bx-48, Bx-50, Bx-51
Bx-53, Bx-60, Bx-62, Bx-63

Between 1946 and 1952, the ATSF purchased and constructed 6,750 new box cars based on the AAR design.  While this block of cars used many common freight car components of the day, including SREC's 4/4 Improved Dreadnaught End , they departed from the AAR design with their use of side sheets contructed from thinner gauge, high strength alloy sheet steel.  However, car sides made of such material required additional stiffeners beyond that which was specified by the AAR Standard design.  This was reflected by the presence of 12 panels on a 40' carbody, rather than the 10 panels of a standard car.  The first three series had rectangular panel roofs, while the 4 final series received the subsequent diagonal panel roof.  ASF A-3 Ride Control trucks predominated, with the last 250 Bx-53 cars having Barber S-2 trucks.

This kit is available in 3 versions, as the cars came with two different truck designs, and two different roof designs.  Refer to the list below to determine what version is appropriate for your modeling era.

Note: The only letter set currently available for these cars, Clover House 7056-28, has the Ship & Travel slogan with the Texas Cheif passenger train slogan on the reverse side.   This was first applied in 1948.  7056-28 is included in the kits below.   Other lettering options are discussed in the instructions, but additional purchases direct from Clover House would be required by the modeler.  If demand for these models is adequate, Clover House will print sets with alternate passenger train slogans to be included in SRCC kits.   Please contact me if you have interest in this.

The kit contains polyurethane resin sides, ends, and doors, either a styrene or urethane roof as required, a Pacific Rail Shops underframe with detail parts and trucks, Clover House dry transfer lettering, car data with expanded instructions, and a few other bits and pieces required to build an accurate model of this prototype.

See also the Postwar AAR Box Car Research Page.

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