Deluxe Innovations - DODX Set 2 (3) - Flatcar, 68 Foot, DODX Heavy-Duty - Department of Defense - 40181

Model Information: Released around 2005. Features:
- Resin bodies,
- Brass sills,
- Micro-Trains couplers,
- Etched metal tie-downs.
Sold in 4-car sets with a variety of different military vehicles.
The flats were produced with a slight bend to depict an unloaded car. Gentle pressure applied will flatten the car for a loaded consist.

Prototype History: The DODX Heavy-Duty flat cars are 68’ 150-ton flats, with two 3 axle "buckeye" trucks, built for the Department of Defense (DoD). These will hold two M1 Abrams or two M60.
There were four builders that produced this car:
- DODX 40000-40099 (FGE)
- DODX 40100-40299 (Thrall)
- DODX 40300-40549 (Ortner)
- DODX 40550-40599 (USRE)
Vehicles are secured to the flat with heavy duty tie-down chains.
Blocks of DODX cars usually move long distances mixed into regular manifest freight trains, however, unit trains of armor are not unusual. Armor is moved by rail between bases and practice ranges, or to ports of embarkation.

Brand/Importer Information: DeLuxe Innovations is a "wholesale manufacturer" of model trains. We manufacture scale replica train models and sell them to hobby shops and distributors worldwide. 2013 marked the 20 year anniversary of DeLuxe Innovations brand trains. There are over 25 body styles in our product line and all of the cars in our single and multi-car packs have different road numbers. DeLuxe Innovations, Inc. is owned by Dave Ferrari, founder of Squeak N Products. We are located in Midland Park, New Jersey. When Dave purchased the business it was located in Burbank, California which would have been a bit of a long commute so the move to the East Coast was planned. Our first East Coast location was in Whippany, NJ along the Whippany River.

The business was started in 1993 by George Johnsen and Roberta Liebreich in Burbank, California. They had a philosophy that just wouldn't allow using a coal car as a "stand in" for a woodchip car, or printing any and all boxcar paint schemes on a PS-1. Starting with the release of the first ever etched metal parts for a ready to run car (1994's Twinstack's metal walkways) through the full dimension underframe and etched metal roofwalk (1996's 1944 AAR Boxcar) to the challenging RoadRailer system (2000), our products have been accurate to target the modeler or enthusiast.

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