LBF Company - 5553 - Boxcar, 60 Foot, Gunderson, Hi-Cube - Montana Rail Link - 12 different

Specific Item Information: Double Door Version

Model Information: This model was first created by E&C shops. The tooling was sold to the LBF Company and in turn when they went out of business in 2009, the model was passed on to Hubert's Model RR Mfg Group. They are available in both single and double door varieties.

Prototype History: The modern 100 ton, high-cube, 60’ boxcar has become ubiquitous in the modern rail scene. These cars are designed to carry a myriad of loads, from auto parts to forest products. This 60 foot box car design was produced by Gunderson, Incorporated, now part of the Greenbrier Companies from the early 1970s into the 2000s.

60’ Heavy Duty Plate C Boxcar:
Designed for the can manufacturing industry, this 100-ton boxcar has two heavy-duty movable bulkheads and one standard moveable bulkhead for convenient loading of aluminum stock. Other features include end-of-car cushioning and 80,000-pound smooth steel flooring. All door type configurations are available.

60’ High Cube Plate E Boxcar:
This 100-ton boxcar has smooth interior walls with recessed lading strap anchors. Extra strength at the side-to-floor connections and the door frame makes this an ideal car for loading and unloading heavy paper rolls. All door type configurations are available.

60’ High Cube Plate F Boxcar - Auto Parts:
Designed for the auto parts industry, this 100-ton boxcar has 18-inch end-of-car cushioning, removable rub rails and a volume of 7,580 cubic feet, making it ideal for carrying auto parts and other high-volume products. All door type configurations are available.

60’ High Cube Plate F Boxcar - Forest Products:
Greenbrier designed and built this 100-ton boxcar with 15-inch end-of-car cushioning and removable rub rails for carrying forest products. All door type configurations are available.

Road Name History: Montana Rail Link (reporting mark MRL) is a privately held Class II railroad in the United States. MRL, which operates on trackage originally built by the Northern Pacific Railway, is a unit of the Washington Companies, and is headquartered in Missoula, Montana.

The railroad runs between Huntley, Montana and Spokane, Washington, largely within Montana, and the main line passes through the towns of Missoula, Livingston, Bozeman, Billings, and Helena. Montana Rail Link connects with the BNSF on both ends and also in Garrison, Montana. The railroad has 937 miles (1,507 km) of track, serves over 150 customers, and employs 1,200 personnel. The main yard is in Laurel, Montana, with smaller yards located in Missoula, Billings, and Helena.

Montana Rail Link's present status and main line date back to 1987, when MRL under Missoula businessman Dennis Washington agreed to lease Burlington Northern's southern Montana main line between Sandpoint, Idaho and Huntley, Montana, near Billings. This spin-off was controversial as it happened during contract negotiations between Burlington Northern and the United Transportation Union. MRL workers are represented by various unions. Montana Rail Link trains operate between Billings, MT and Spokane, WA using trackage rights over BN successor BNSF Railway's tracks connecting those points.

Montana Rail Link still uses cabooses, which are used to carry remote control switching equipment on Laurel switch engines. A significant number of MRL movements are actually BNSF trains, complete with locomotives, that MRL receives at one end of its track and forwards back to BNSF at the other end. MRL also operates trains of its own to gather and distribute local freight along its lines. Forest products and grain are primary commodities, and MRL also operates a special train, called the Gas Local, between Missoula and Thompson Falls, Montana, to bridge a gap in a long-distance gasoline pipeline.

Brand/Importer Information: The LBF company was based in Roseburg Oregon founded by Fred Becker. LBF was the successor company to E&C Shops, also founded by Becker. LBF also did business under the name USA Plastics. USA Plastics/LBF opened for business in 1993. They produced N Scale models using toolings purchased from the E&C Company. Later, in 1998, LBF folded and the toolings were sold to Hubert's Model RR Manufacturing group which was also located in Roseburg. Hubert had been one of Becker's partners in LBF/USA Plastics. Later, when Hubert's operation folded, the toolings were acquired by InterMountain.