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Micro-Trains - NSC 98-04 - Boxcar, 40 Foot, PS-1 - Rutland - 6464300

Collectors value this item at an average of 21.6721.67Collectors value this item at an average of 21.67
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N Scale - Micro-Trains - NSC 98-04 - Boxcar, 40 Foot, PS-1 - Rutland - 6464300 Copyright held by TroveStar
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Commissioned ByLowell Smith
Production TypeSpecial Run
Stock NumberNSC 98-04
Secondary Stock Number6464-300b
Original Retail Price$19.95
BrandMicro-Trains
ManufacturerMicro-Trains Line
Body StyleMicro-Trains 020 Boxcar 40 Foot PS-1
Prototype VehicleBoxcar, 40 Foot, PS-1 (Details)
Road or Company NameRutland (Details)
Reporting MarksRUTLAND
Road or Reporting Number6464300
Paint Color(s)Green and Yellow
Print Color(s)Green and Yellow
Coupler TypeMT Magne-Matic Knuckle
Coupler MountTruck-Mount
Wheel TypeInjection Molded Plastic
Wheel ProfileSmall Flange (Low Profile)
Series NameLionel 6464
Series Release/Issue Number14
Release Date1997-12-01
Item CategoryRolling Stock (Freight)
Model TypeBoxcar
Model Subtype40 Foot
Model VarietySteel, PS-1
Prototype RegionNorth America
Prototype EraNA Era III: Transition (1939 - 1957)
Scale1/160
Track GaugeN standard



Specific Item Information: The December 1997 version of this car features a yellow door. The later, 2002 version features a green and yellow door. There are other differences in the details of the paint scheme, but both cars are similar and both have the same road number, 6464300.
Series Information: 6464 Collector Series
In the 1950′s and 60′s, most Lionel train sets included a boxcar. The common number ‘6464’ was printed on every car, regardless of the road name, and these cars have become a highly collected series for Lionel lovers throughout the world.
Lowell Smith commissioned Micro-Trains to reproduce these cars in N scale. He chose Micro-Trains because they are a company that, like Lionel, is a major brand name of trains that are both “collected and operated”.
This series began in 1995 and was projected to take seven years based on releasing six cars each year. The series was completed in 2002, as expected.
All cars were produced using the Micro-Trains 20,000 body style. At the end of the series, several “customer appreciation” sets were produced . Three locomotives and a caboose were released in conjunction with this series.
Model Information: This is Micro-Trains first body style. It was introduced in 1972. Its is a model of a Pullman-Standard PS-1 boxcar from circa 1957. Micro-Trains does not market it as a PS-1 so as to allow themselves some latitude so they can use this car to model non-PS prototypes. Hundreds of different releases have used this body style in various paint schemes and road names. They are equipped with 6' sliding doors, either Youngstown (4/5/4 rib pattern) or Superior (7 panels). It is not a model of a "modern" steel boxcar as the length (40 foot) and the roofwalk are more typical of the transition era (1939 - 1957).

In 2019, Micro-Trains started releasing this model with new body-mounted couplers attached to a new underframe.
Prototype History:
The 40' Boxcar is widely known as one of the most popular freight cars used by railroads as they transitioned from steam to diesel. In particular the Pullman Standard or PS-1 design was one of the most popular and was widely used by North American railroads. These boxcars were built beginning in 1947 and share the same basic design, with certain elements such as door size, door style or roof type varying among the different railroads and production years. When production of these cars ceased in 1963, over 100,000 had been produced.

So just what is a PS-1? Well the simple answer is it is any boxcar built by Pullman Standard from 1947 on. The design changed over the years – sometimes subtly, sometimes for customer request, and sometimes in a larger way. In general, most PS-1’s built from 1947 to 1961 share the same dimensions and basic construction techniques. These cars all had a length of 40′, a height of 10’5″ or 10’6″, welded sides and ends and roof of Pullman’s own design. The greatest variation was in the size and style of doors used. Pullman Standard also offered 50′ and later 60′ boxcars – also with the PS-1 designation.
Road Name History:
The Rutland Railroad (reporting mark RUT) was a railroad in the northeastern United States, located primarily in the state of Vermont but extending into the state of New York at both its northern-most and southern-most ends. The earliest ancestor of the Rutland, the Rutland & Burlington Railroad, was chartered in 1843 by the state of Vermont to build between Rutland and Burlington. A number of other railroads were formed in the region, and by 1867 the Rutland & Burlington Railroad had changed its name to simply the Rutland Railroad.

Between 1871 and 1896 the Rutland Railroad was leased to the Central Vermont, regaining its independence when that road entered receivership. The New York Central Railroad briefly had a controlling interest in the Rutland from 1904, but sold half of its shares to the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in 1911.

In 1901, the Rutland Railroad completed construction of a system of causeways and trestles across Lake Champlain, through the Champlain islands, to connect between Burlington, Vermont and Rouses Point, New York. The purpose of this construction was to give the Rutland access to Canada independent of the tracks of the competing Central Vermont. At the final approach to Rouses Point, though, both companies did end up sharing the same bridge over the Richelieu River by using an unusual gauntlet track that allowed sharing without the need for switches.[2] The causeway between Burlington and South Hero built at that time is today maintained as a recreation trail called The Island Line.[3] The company also had a line from Rutland, southeast to Bellows Falls, in southeastern Vermont, opposite New Hampshire, and a line from Rutland south to North Bennington, thence to Chatham, New York. Chatham was a major junction for connections via the New York Central to New York City and the Boston & Albany Railroad service to Massachusetts.

The Rutland's primary freight traffic was derived from dairy products and to many[by whom?] the railroad is fondly remembered for the long trains of milk that used to move over the system. At its peak the Rutland served about a 400-mile (600 km) system that roughly resembled an upside-down "L" running from Chatham, New York north to Alburgh, Vermont (the railroad's northernmost terminus was Noyan, Quebec) and thence west to Ogdensburg, New York along the St. Lawrence River. Never a solid financial operation, the Rutland entered receivership for the first time in 1938. Cost cutting, including wage reduction, brought things around. A reorganization in 1950 changed the name from Rutland Railroad to Rutland Railway.

In 1925, Rutland reported 259 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 38 million passenger-miles on 413 miles of road and 559 miles of track; in 1960 it had 182 million ton-miles on 391 route-miles and 476 track-miles.

In 1961, after devastating strikes, the railroad apparently decided it was no longer viable and applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission for complete abandonment. This was approved, and the railroad closed down on May 20, 1963.

Much of the right-of-way was purchased by the State of Vermont. The Northern Division across the top of New York State from Ogdensburg to Norwood remains in tracks. Interestingly, it is operated by Vermont Railway, so all the remaining trackage of the Rutland is operated by one company. Ownership of the railbed from Norwood to Burlington has been dispersed, but a 21-mile (34 km) section from Norwood to Moira is the multi-use Rutland Trail.

Read more on Wikipedia.
Brand/Importer Information: Micro-Trains is the brand name used by both Kadee Quality Products and Micro-Trains Line. For a history of the relationship between the brand and the two companies, please consult our Micro-Trains Collector's Guide.
Manufacturer Information:
Micro-Trains Line split off from Kadee Quality Products in 1990. Kadee Quality Products originally got involved in N-Scale by producing a scaled-down version of their successful HO Magne-Matic knuckle coupler system. This coupler was superior to the ubiquitous 'Rapido' style coupler due to two primary factors: superior realistic appearance and the ability to automatically uncouple when stopped over a magnet embedded in a section of track. The success of these couplers in N-Scale quickly translated to the production of trucks, wheels and in 1972 a release of ready-to-run box cars.

Micro-Trains Line Co. split off from Kadee in 1990 to form a completely independent company. For this reason, products from this company can appear with labels from both enterprises. Due to the nature of production idiosyncrasies and various random factors, the rolling stock from Micro-Trains can have all sorts of interesting variations in both their packaging as well as the products themselves. When acquiring an MTL product it is very important to understand these important production variations that can greatly enhance (or decrease) the value of your purchase.

Please consult our Micro-Trains Collector's Guide
Commissioner Information: Desiring to bring a creative and artistic approach to model railroad cars, Lowell Smith Signature Series was born in 1994. The first special run car commemorated the Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the Golden Spike - "Wedding of the Rails". Since 1994, Lowell Smith Signature Series has continued to produce over one hundred and thirty-five unique cars or train locomotives to date.

A native of Portland, Oregon, Lowell Smith married his church choir sweetheart Barb in 1978. After a lifetime of rail-fanning, Lowell and Barb ventured out in 1992 to launch a new business in Portland, Oregon.
Following Lowell's passion of model trains, The Hobby Smith was built to be the community center for model railroaders - operators and collectors alike. Located in the Hollywood District of Portland, The Hobby Smith was the place to learn and to enjoy the camaraderie of others with the same passion.
Item created by: gdm on 2017-08-09 08:53:47. Last edited by gdm on 2023-03-29 10:12:08

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