A newly tooled FMC 5,347-cubic-foot capacity 50-foot boxcar has joined the Athearn HO scale freight car lineup. The injection-molded plastic model has railroad-specific doors; many separate, factory-applied details; and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers.
Prototype history
FMC Corp. produced the 5,347-cubic-foot capacity boxcar at its plant in Portland, Ore., from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Among the spotting features are 3/3 corrugated, non-terminating ends; seven exterior posts on each side of the door; and bolsters attached to the sills with fasteners in a U-shaped arrangement.
The sample we received is decorated as Maine Central (Pan Am Railways) 31414, part of the railroad’s 31250 through 31749 series built by FMC under Lot 17660 in November and December 1976. This group of MEC boxcars is similar in appearance to the 5347, but has a capacity of 5,272 cubic feet. In addition, the bolster fasteners are arranged in a diamond pattern. Examples of these cars are still in service today. [Maine Central does have 5,347-cubic-foot capacity boxcars, but they are in the 31750 through 31899 and 31900 through 32149 series. — Ed.]
Model features
The Athearn HO FMC 5347 boxcar has a one-piece plastic body. Among the factory-applied parts are wire grab irons and crossover handrails; plastic 10-foot Youngstown doors, door handles, stirrup steps, end ladders, and placard and route boards; and see-through, etched-metal crossover platforms. The B end of the car has a freestanding hand brake and brake wheel.
The underbody is a one-piece plastic casting with molded body bolsters, center sills, crossmembers, draft-gear boxes, and stringers. Factory-applied plastic parts include the air reservoir, brake cylinder, control valve, levers, and lever support brackets. The brake rods are metal, secured with glue to the levers and center sills.
The plastic draft-gear box covers, which hold the McHenry scale couplers in place, are secured with a single Phillips-head screw.
A steel weight that measures 1-1/16” x 6-⅜” is attached to the opposite side of the underbody with thin, double-sided tape. The weight is further secured with plastic washers and Phillips ring-head screws.
The Athearn HO FMC 5347 boxcar features roller-bearing trucks with separate brake beam detail. The trucks are molded in black engineering plastic and have crisply defined spring and roller-bearing detail. The 33” machined metal wheelsets are chemically blackened.
The X-panel roof on our review sample is painted a galvanized steel color with blue overspray along the edges. As on the prototype, the roof’s end panels are blank.
Measuring up
Our review sample is decorated in Pan Am Railways’ light blue and Guilford Gray scheme. The paint is smooth and evenly applied, but the color-separation line has some wavy spots. Graphic placement follows prototype images that I found online of other cars in the Pan Am scheme. I was unable to find photos showing both sides of car 31414. However, most cars in the blue-and-gray scheme have the Pan Am globe logo on both sides; Pan Am in the corporate typeface on the left side; and Pan Am Railways in a modern, sans-serif font on the right side. Our sample has Pan Am on both sides.
Prototype drawings of the FMC 5347 boxcar were published in the 1980 Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice (Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp.) Most of the dimensions match published data. Stencils on the car ends indicate the MEC boxcar should have a Freightmaster Type ME 10 cushioning unit, but the model has an uncushioned draft sill. [Moloco Trains offers the cushioning unit as a separate sale item. — Ed.] The distance over the strikers is a scale 51’-3”, compared to 52’-9-¾” indicated in the prototype drawings.
The FMC 5347 was one of the more common cars from the boxcar boom in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Athearn’s newly tooled model faithfully captures the lines of the prototype. The various paint schemes cover the peak of the Incentive Per Diem era all the way to the present day.
Facts & features
Price: Single car, $39.99; three-pack, $99.99
Manufacturer
Athearn Trains
2904 Research Rd.
Champaign, IL 61822
Era: late 1970s to present (varies depending on paint scheme)
Road names: Maine Central (Pan Am Railways and as-delivered schemes), Cadiz RR, Central Vermont, CSX, Green Mountain RR, and Railbox (two single cars and three-pack). Two single cars per scheme unless noted.
Features
- 33” machined metal wheelsets with RP-25 contours, correctly gauged
- Body-mounted McHenry scale couplers, at correct height
- Minimum radius, 18”
- Weight: 4.9 ounces, .4 ounce too heavy per National Model Railroad Association Recommended Practice 20.1
