Bluford Shops is introducing a new run of our N scale Pullman Standard 86’ Quad Door Auto Parts Boxcars. This new set of releases
will feature a new draft gear design that accommodates 1015 and compatible couplers (included,) our latest 70 ton roller bearing trucks
and metal wheels. The minimum radius is 11”. They also include separate wire grab irons and etched metal platforms on the ends. The
draft gear is mounted to the body but has a spring centered swing action that both resists string-lining the train pulling through
curves and resists the trucks climbing the rail during shoving moves.
These super-size boxcars were originally built to carry
high-value low-density automobile parts such as body panels and window glass to final assembly plants. This Quad Door variation was
developed at the request of General Motors but could later be found serving other manufacturers as well. Cars were purchased in pools
that included several railroads (based on mileage) and several auto plants. For instance, a pool could include plants in California,
Michigan, Georgia and New York and include boxcars from more than half a dozen railroads. Cars could be assigned to any destination
in the pool whether or not it was on the home road. In later years, these cars could be found carrying other low-density loads such
as turbine fans, paper pulp, breakfast cereal and even peat moss used in landscaping.
Placement of road numbers, some data elements
and even logos may vary by road number based on the prototype. Release is expected in June. MSRP: $36.95 each. Retailers take note,
this is a short-discount item. Please contact our distributors Heartland Hobby Wholesale and Walthers for details.
CSX first appeared in 1980 as a holding company whose railroad subsidiaries were consolidated in stages. The CSX image was adopted
for rolling stock in 1986 however equipment still carried reporting marks for Seaboard System, Chesapeake & Ohio or Baltimore
& Ohio for another year. It was during this period that these CSX-B&O boxcars began to appear. This paint scheme will be available
in 4 road numbers.
87230 CSX - B&O #B&O 492018
87231 CSX - B&O #B&O 492007
87235 CSX -
B&O #B&O 492049
87237 CSX - B&O #B&O 492043
Norfolk Southern inherited 86’ quad door boxcars from both predecessors Southern and Norfolk & Western with more joining the fleet
as a result of the Conrail split. The yellow reflector stripes began to appear in 2005. This paint scheme will be available in 2 road
numbers.
87240 Norfolk Southern #NS 657497
87241 Norfolk Southern #NS 657494
Rock Island was an early adopter of the 86’ quad door boxcar, receiving this batch from Pullman Standard in the summer of 1964. They
are thought to be the first boxcars to be delivered to RI without running boards. It seems the builder received special dispensation
to leave them off. This paint scheme will be available in 3 road numbers.
87250 Rock Island shield #RI 32958
87251 Rock Island shield #RI 32964
87255 Rock Island shield #RI 32960
Conrail had the largest fleet of 86’ quad door boxcars having inherited the fleets from Pennsylvania, New York Central, Penn Central
and Erie Lackawanna. Most were painted in this “medium logo” paint scheme. Two road numbers in this release CR 293779 and CR 237455
have the yellow centerplate inspection dot next to the road number. The other two do not.
87260 Conrail medium logo #CR
293067
87261 Conrail medium logo #CR 293779
87265 Conrail medium logo #CR 237665
87267 Conrail medium
logo #CR 237455
Union Pacific took delivery of this batch of 86’ quad door boxcars in July of 1966. UP was still using the “RAILROAD” version of the
shield not to mention the 6-color “automated rail way” slogan and map used on many UP boxcars with cushioned underframes. This group
was initially assigned for loading at a Chevy plant on the NYC in Cleveland. This paint scheme will be available in 4 road numbers.
87270 Union Pacific Automated Railway # UP 980212
87271 Union Pacific Automated Railway # UP 980219
87275 Union Pacific
Automated Railway # UP 980215
87277 Union Pacific Automated Railway # UP 980217
Missouri Pacific received this group from Pullman Standard in February of 1965. Like most auto parts boxcars, these were part of a
multi-railroad, multi-plant pool with this group assigned for loading at a Chevy plant on the GTW in Flint, Michigan. MP was the only
railroad to also stencil the road number on the left door so it can be identified when the open door covered the regular road number
stencil on the car side. This paint scheme will be available in 3 road numbers.
87280 Missouri Pacific as delivered #MP
272017
87281 Missouri Pacific as delivered #MP 272001
87285 Missouri Pacific as delivered #MP 272020
Grand Trunk Western obtained this goup of boxcars in the summer of 1967. They were also assigned for loading to the Chevy plant in
Flint, Michigan. We present these cars as they appeard after 1974 with consolidated stencils and ACI tags. This paint scheme will
be available in 3 road numbers.
87290 Grand Trunk Western post-'74 #GTW 378221
87291 Grand Trunk Western post-'74
#GTW 378249
87295 Grand Trunk Western post-'74 #GTW 378237
This New York Central paint scheme represents an early delivery (February of 1965) from Pullman Standard. This group sports extra
heavy NYC reporting marks that seem to be unique to this batch. Perhaps the original stencil specs went missing and Pullman Standard
made replacements based on the heavier lettering used in the logo. These cars had black ends, a practice discontinued on later deliveries.
The paint scheme will be available in 4 road numbers.
87300 New York Central black ends #NYC 67088
87301 New
York Central black ends #NYC 67042
87305 New York Central black ends #NYC 67095
87307 New York Central black ends #NYC 67063
Southern Railway served auto plants in Georgia and rostered a respectable fleet of these quad door cars. This is the second paint
scheme applied to these cars including “Gives a Green Light To Innovations” and “Southern Serves The South” mottos. This paint scheme
will be available in 3 road numbers.
87310 Southern Gives a Green Light… #42372
87311 Southern Gives a Green
Light… #42353
87315 Southern Gives a Green Light… #42365
In 1995 Canadian National was privitized and their US subsidiaries were transitioned to the status of “paper railroads” with operations
and marketing images integrated into CN. Since subsidiary Grand Trunk Western had many more 86’ boxcars than CN, GTW blue was adopted
as the new standard color. As the internet became ubiquitous, CN added their website below the familiar CN noodle. These cars have
“CANADIAN” (English) on one side and “CANADIEN” (French) on the other. This paint scheme will be available in 3 road numbers.
87320 Canadian National website #CNA 798028
87321 Canadian National website #CNA 798053
87325 Canadian National website
#CNA 798027