Manufacturer
Atlas Model Railroad Co.
378 Florence Ave.
Hillside, NJ 07205
www.atlasrr.com
Era: Late 1975 to present
Road names
Early: Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay, Atlantic & Western, Burlington Northern, and Railbox. Late: Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion; Cadiz RR; Escanaba & Lake Superior; and Port Huron & Detroit. Three numbers per scheme. Both styles available undecorated.
Comments: An early and late version of FMC’s 5,077-cubic-foot-capacity boxcar have been added to Atlas’ HO scale Master Line. The ready-to-run boxcar has wire grab irons, etched-metal crossover platforms, and
plastic stirrup steps. The separate Youngstown door is offered with or without a roller lift lever. In addition, Atlas includes a separate bolster/draft-gear box assembly for Kadee whisker couplers, end-of-car cushioning units, and brass uncoupling levers.
The spotting features of the FMC 5077 boxcar include seven side panels, sills notched at the truck bolsters, and non-terminating box-corrugated ends. Cars built from 1975 through April 1976 (early version) have wide end panels and long grab irons. Cars constructed after April 1976 (late version) have narrow end panels and short grabs.
Our sample is decorated for the Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion RR Co. The model, based on a late version car, has a 1-piece injection-molded plastic body, a separate underbody with freestanding brake appliances, and screw-mounted trucks and couplers. The bottom door track is on standoffs.
The yellow paint is opaque, and all of the printing is legible. There are a few voids in the LEF&C herald between the post flanges and the exterior posts.
At 4.6 ounces, the boxcar is .1 ounce too heavy based on National Model Railroad Association Recommended Practice 20.1. The metal wheelsets are in gauge. The Accumate knuckle couplers are at the correct height, but the trip pins are too low.
Atlas has done an excellent job capturing the lines of the FMC prototype. This car would look great on a manifest freight from the mid-1970s through the present day.
