Price: $31.98
Manufacturer
Athearn Trains
1600 Forbes Way, Ste. 120
Long Beach, CA 90810
www.athearn.com
Era: 1964 to 2000sRoad names: Dresser Magcobar, Brown Co., Pearl Brewing Co., and Western Pacific (three road numbers per scheme)
Comments: After a 3-year hiatus, Athearn has re-issued its HO scale 50-foot North American Car Corp. (NACC) insulated boxcar in new road numbers. This model was first released in the mid-2000s in Athearn’s premium Genesis line. Though the car is now part of the Ready-to-Roll line, it still features the Genesis-level details.
The prototype boxcar debuted in 1964, with more than 1,300 cars built. The insulated cars were primarily used in food service (beer and canned goods, among other items), though some were used by the oil drilling industry to transport lubricants and fluids.
The Athearn model features a one-piece body with a separately applied roof. A steel weight runs the length of the car’s floor. The model is offered with prototype-specific doors and roof. Other features include separate door rods, wire grab irons, and etched-metal crossover platforms.
Our sample is decorated for Dresser Magcobar. The orange paint is smooth and evenly applied, but there are voids in the lettering and 2-tone stripe around the exterior posts.The model’s dimensions closely match prototype drawings in the June 1994 issue of Mainline Modeler. At 3.9 ounces, the car is 0.6 ounce too light based on National Model Railroad Association recommended practice 20.1. The McHenry scale knuckle couplers are mounted at the correct height, and the metal wheelsets are correctly gauged.
The NACC boxcar was a common sight on North American railroads from the mid-1960s through the 1990s, and a few can still be found in service today. These colorful cars will certainly stand out in your freight car fleet.
