Manufacturer:
Atlas O
378 Florence Ave.
Hillside, NJ 07205
www.atlaso.com
Road names: Pan Am (Maine Central), Clarendon & Pittsford, Family Lines (Atlanta & West Point), Kansas City Southern, Missouri Pacific, National Ry. of Mexico, and Railbox. Undecorated version is also available.
Era: 1974 to present
As part of the Atlas O Trainman ready-to-run line of freight cars, this modern-era O scale (1:48) model accurately represents an American Car & Foundry 50′-6″ single-door boxcar. The model matches the major dimensions of the prototype given in the 2012 Official Railway Equipment Register.
Typical of the Trainman line, the car features plastic construction with numerous molded details, including plastic stirrups, side ladders, door latches (non-functional), and simulated wood-grain floor.
The underbody brake gear is also molded. The brake cylinder, main reservoir, and other rigging are placed in the correct locations.
Separately applied plastic details are limited to sliding doors, door guides, end ladders, end platforms, and a brake wheel and chain.
The die-cast metal roller-bearing trucks have prototypically detailed side frames with metal springs and chemically blackened metal RP-25 contour wheels that are in gauge. I appreciated that the plastic bearing caps realistically turn with the rotation of the wheels.
Operating metal knuckle couplers are mounted to the body at the correct height and are compatible with Kadee couplers. Atlas states the car will run on curves of 24″ minimum radius.
The car weighs 17 ounces, which is .75 ounce too light according to National Model Railroad Association RP-20.1. Since the car’s interior is open, it’s easy to add more weight to bring the car up to the NMRA recommendation.
What stands out most about this car is the crisp application of paint, lettering, and modern-era graphics, including Federal Railroad Administration-mandated yellow reflective striping. On the prototype this striping makes the car more visible to motorists at night.
Our test sample wears the striking contemporary Pan Am scheme, as applied to Maine Central RR Co. (MEC) boxcars in 2006. Guilford Rail System purchased the name, logo, and colors of Pan American World Airways in 1998. At that time the company also changed its name to Pan Am Ry. Co. Maine Central is one of Pan Am’s subsidiaries.
The model’s paint scheme matches prototype photos, including the repaint stencil that correctly shows that the car received the Pan Am Rys. scheme in October 2006. The roof is painted silver to depict an unpainted galvanized roof.
The Atlas O website has a list of current and previously released paint schemes. The well-detailed car should prove useful to O scalers who model the modern era.
