Manufacturer
ExactRail LLC
251 W. River Park Drive, Suite 300
Provo, UT 84604
exactrail.com
Era: 1973 to present
Road names (multiple road numbers available): Conrail (CR or NYC reporting marks); Detroit, Toledo & Ironton; Norfolk Southern; Penn Central
Comments: This HO scale Greenville boxcar from ExactRail is an accurately detailed model of a modern-era mainstay of the auto industry. The Greenville Steel Car Co. started building 60-foot auto parts boxcars in the early 1960s. The prototype for our Conrail review sample is a high-cube version that was built as part of series 220998 to 221018 for the Penn Central, among other railroads. After the collapse of PC, these cars handled auto parts traffic for Conrail.
The dimensions of the plastic ready-to-run model match a prototype diagram in the 1974 Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practices (Simmons-Boardman). The molded and separate detail parts on the model match prototype photos, as does the Conrail paint scheme.
Separate parts include the brake wheel, underbody brake gear, ladders, and handgrabs. The brake lines and uncoupling levers are flexible acetal plastic that resists breaking. The coupler platforms are etched metal.
The blackened metal wheels are in gauge and the Kadee no. 58 couplers are at the correct height per National Model Railroad Association Standards. The car weighs 5.3 ounces, which is correct according to NMRA recommended practice 20.1.
This Greenville auto parts boxcar is a worthy addition to ExactRail’s highly detailed Platinum Line.
