Manufacturer
Atlas Model Railroad Co.
378 Florence Ave.
Hillside, NJ 07205
www.atlasrr.com
Era: 1940s to 1970s
Comments: A steel rebuilt United States Railway Administration boxcar is available in HO from Atlas. The model is decorated as a Pennsylvania RR X26C boxcar. The PRR rebuilt nearly 3,500 of its X26 USRA single-sheathed boxcars during the mid- to late 1940s. These rebuilt cars had 7-foot door openings, metal running boards, a Murphy panel roof, and 5-5-5 car ends with filler plates to widen them vertically and horizontally.
There are differences between the model and the prototype. The door opening is only 6 feet, the running boards are simulated wood, the roof is wrong, and the filler plate detail was omitted on the model’s ends. Also, the car’s height is more than a scale foot low compared to prototype drawings.
The metal wheels mounted on plastic axles are correctly gauged, and the body-mounted Accumate knuckle couplers are at the correct height. The car weighs 3.9 ounces, which is .15 ounces too heavy based on National Model Railroad Association Recommended Practice 20.1.
Atlas offers the steel rebuilt USRA boxcar in four different end and underframe combinations. The model is a fair stand-in for a common Pennsy car.
