Evans Products entered the freight car market in the 1960s with steel coil gondolas. Later in the decade, Evans added boxcars to its portfolio when it acquired
United States Railway Equipment (USRE). In the 1970s, Evans purchased Southern Iron & Equipment Co. (SIECO).
These divisions of Evans capitalized on the boxcar shortage of the mid-1970s. During this time, manufacturers encouraged railroads to put new cars into service with the Incentive Per Diem program. The manufacturers gave railroads incentive payments for new cars in good condition.
The HO car follows a late 1977 Evans/USRE design. Spotting features on this car include 7-panel carsides, notched sills by the stirrup steps, a sill extension below the doors, an overhanging Stanray X-panel roof, and non-terminating box-corrugated ends riveted to the carsides.
Our sample is decorated for Burlington Northern. Car number 219301 is part of series 219300-219378. The railroad acquired these ex-National Railway Utilization Corp. (NRUC) cars used in 1981. The dimensions of that model match data published in the April 1982 Official Railway Equipment Register.
The lettering placement matches prototype photos, and the herald panel correctly stops short of the top of the door.
There were a few detail discrepancies, though. The two rivet access holes on the top chord are missing. The tack and defect card boards are both on the door, but should be on the body panels to the left of the door. The stirrup steps should be bottom-mount, not side-mount.
The N scale model is based on a late 1978 Evans/SIECO design. The most noticeable external difference between this car and the late 1977 prototype is that it has a straight side sill.
Our sample is decorated for the St. Lawrence RR. Car no. 151489 is part of series 151485-151721. The full-size cars in this group were built from Evans-supplied kits by the shop forces at NRUC’s Golden Tye Division.
The model’s major dimensions match data published in the April 1980 ORER. The distance over the pulling faces is nearly 2 scale feet too long. This is typical with truck-mounted couplers.
The N scale model has a molded bottom door track, grab irons, and ladders. The rivet access holes are on this model.
These two Evans boxcars have been long overlooked by model manufacturers. Thanks to ExactRail, you can now add some color and variety to your boxcar fleet.
Price: N scale $22.95, HO $29.95
Manufacturer:
ExactRail
251 West River Park Dr., Ste. 300
Provo, UT 84604
www.exactrail.com
Era: late 1977-present (HO), late 1978-present (N)
Road names (multiple numbers) N scale: St. Lawrence RR, Atlantic & Western, Delaware & Hudson, East Erie Commercial, Illinois Central, and Meridian & Bigbee. HO scale: Burlington Northern; Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion; Louisiana Midland; Railbox; and Rock Island (blue). Undecorated kit also offered in HO.
Features
- ASF Ride Control (HO and N) or Barber S-2 (HO) 70-ton trucks
- Body-mounted Kadee no. 5 (HO scale) and truck-mounted McHenry (N) knuckle couplers, both mounted at correct height
- Bottom door track mounted on stand-off brackets (HO)
- Metal wheelsets in gauge
- Narrow-style draft-gear box (HO)
- Weight: 4.5 ounces (HO),
- 1.1 ounces (N). Both match NMRA RP-20.1.
- Wire grab irons (HO)
