Hubert's - HN5555 - Boxcar, 50 Foot, Gunderson 5200 - Golden West Service - 743128

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: Built in the late sixties and early seventies, the Gunderson 5200 is a classic-looking boxcar with modern appeal and can still be seen around today (albeit usually not in the best of shape!). Constructed near the end of the internal post, double sheathed box car era, the straight sill and centered YSD 8ft doors lends itself to clean modern symmetry on a car with vintage aesthetics. These cars road on ASF 70 Ton Ride Control or Barber 70 Ton S-2 trucks. They were used by the BN, SP and SP&S.

Road Name History: Golden West was a financial invention -- SP wanted to get capital equipment off the books but the railroad needed the cars. So a corporation was invented that used borrowed money to "buy" the cars, refurbish them, and lease them back to the SP. In the long run this is basically a transfer of wealth from the railroad to the investors, but in the short run it helped the railroad by providing working capital. The UP ended the whole deal as soon as it could and that is why everything is reverting to original ownership.

Brand/Importer Information: Hubert's Model Railroad Mfg Corp group was located in Roseburg, Oregon and then Cincinnati, Ohio. Frank Hubert purchased the toolings of the LBF company (a.k.a. USA Plastics), that itself succeeded to E&C Shops, both founded by Fred Becker. Hubert had been one of Becker's partners in LBF/USA Plastics. Later, when Hubert's operation folded by the end of 2007, the toolings were acquired by InterMountain.
Like its predecessors, Hubert's released every road name with 12 to 48 different road numbers, offering the cars in 6- or 12-packs.