Micro-Trains - NSE MTL 18-01 - Boxcar, 60 Foot, Gunderson, Hi-Cube - Union Pacific - 960870

Specific Item Information: 2018 NSE 18th Annual Membership Car

Model Information: This body style models a Boxcar, 60 Foot, Riveted Side, Double Plug Door, High Cube.

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: The Union Pacific Railroad (reporting mark UP) is a freight hauling railroad that operates 8,500 locomotives over 32,100 route-miles in 23 states west of Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana. The Union Pacific Railroad network is the largest in the United States and employs 42,600 people. It is also one of the world's largest transportation companies.

Union Pacific Railroad is the principal operating company of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP); both are headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Over the years Union Pacific Corporation has grown by acquiring other railroads, notably the Missouri Pacific, Chicago & North Western, Western Pacific, Missouri-Kansas-Texas, and the Southern Pacific (including the Denver & Rio Grande Western).

Union Pacific Corporation's main competitor is the BNSF Railway, the nation's second largest freight railroad, which also primarily services the Continental U.S. west of the Mississippi River. Together, the two railroads have a duopoly on all transcontinental freight rail lines in the U.S.

Read more on Wikipedia and on Union Pacific official website.

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