MODEL FEATURES:
• Brand new tooling; first time in plastic
• Newly-tooled Genesis Buckeye Steel Castings S-2-C truck with correct ride height
• Correct x-panel roof
• Complete underbody brake gear
• Detailed Keystone cushion underframe and draft gear
• Separate ladders, brake wheel, coupler cut levers, train air lines and crossover platforms
• Highly-detailed, single 10’ sliding door or dual 8’ plug doors with separate door rods and handles
• Highly-detailed artwork including door operating instructions, end data, and trust data as appropriate
• Minimum radius 18” Recommended 22”
PROTOTYPE AND BACKGROUND INFO:
In 1974 and 1975, Santa Fe built a series of 60ft, high-cube boxcars
in its Topeka Shops. The cars were placed in the number series ATSF
600500-600599 and featured single 10ft sliding doors. In 1985, much of the ATSF 600500-600599 roster was purchased by the GTW and sent to QSR / General Electric Rail Services in Texarkana AK to be rebuilt for engine service on the GT system.
Interestingly, these cars were never stenciled with a return designation like other GTW engine and auto parts boxcars were. Most were to be returned to Flint. These cars roamed the entire GTW system and into Canada on the CN. The first group (384500-384557) was rebuilt for General Motors engine service in late 1985 and into 1986. The modifications involved were simple- two 8ft plug doors with reinforced door posts replaced a single 10ft slide door.
The second group (384558-384576) was rebuilt for Ford Motor Company engine service in 1986. The modifications involved installation of two 8ft plug doors with reinforced door posts, as well as rub rails and liners, reducing the cubic footage to 7032 cu ft. These Plate “F” cars wore the classic GT “The Good Track Road” paint scheme from when they left Texarkana, and some still carry this scheme today- albeit battered and faded. In 2003 and 2004, CN rolled out their URL Paint scheme and a handful of the 77 cars would be repainted into the blue CN URL paint scheme.
In the mid 2000s, there was a severe downturn in the auto industry, with several plants closing. As a result, some of these cars were deemed as surplus and were sold off to Midwest Railcar and Wisconsin Southern for general service. In 2009, the pools changed except for the cars going to Canada. Oshawa Ontario’s GM plant would consistently see these cars starting in the mid-90s and through all downturns in the auto industry until its plant closure in 2018. After the plant temporarily closed the GT cars were reassigned to Chrysler axle service. Post-2009, these cars would often make their way either down to Texas or into Mexico for parts and would be sent up to either Detroit MI or Oshawa ON.
As for the remaining ATSF cars that were not purchased by the GTW, they were purchased by the Mid-Michigan Railroad, a 1987 shortline
startup which operated 39.8 miles of track in Michigan. After this, the cars could be seen patched for BAEX and later PSMX (The Andersons and Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing, respectively).
