Roundhouse - 5184 - Boxcar, 50 Foot, FMC, 5283 - Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac - 5184

Specific Item Information: Patchout!

Model Information: Single Sliding Door Rib Side Without Roofwalk FMC. Originally designed by MDC Roundhouse. This tooling was acquired by Athearn in June of 2004 and re-released under the Athearn name. The MDC releases referred to this tooling as "FMC 50 Foot Boxcar - Single Door". Athearn refers to them as "FMC 5347 Box Car(sic)", but they are the same model.

The MDC Roundhouse releases typically came as kits (though some later releases were RTR) with an unpainted pewter underframe and truck-mounted couplers and blackened low-profile metal wheels. The Athearn releases have a nicer set of wheels (also low-profile). The Athearn models are always Ready-to-Run (RTR). The Athearn models have painted (black) underframes that are also metal (likely pewter or whatever MDC used). Athearn moved the couplers to become body-mounted and changed the coupling system from Rapido to McHenry. After inspecting them closely, I am not sure they can be swapped for MTL couplers without filing off part of the underframe, but I could be wrong. This presents a problem as McHenry couplers don't always play well with other couplers on long consists where that is a lot of force on each coupling point. The body has remained unchanged with the only detail part being the brake wheel.

The newer releases of this body style (as of 2017) market this boxcar as specifically modelling the FMC 5347 prototype.

Prototype History: In the 1970's with the growth of the Per Diem business model, FMC produced a series of 50 foot box cars in different configurations. The double-sliding-door configuration is one common variation that was used by many different railroads. FMC provided a large number of box cars for SSI, Itel, Brae, and Rex. Due to the economic recession which began in late 1979, most these cars were soon transferred to other railroads one or more times. By the 1990s, most had been acquired by GE. They continued to change hands nearly every time a lease expired, or they were rebuilt. The renumberings of GE owned cars are often very complex, but some of the most commonly seen reporting marks are EEC, HS, and SRN.

The XM-class, 50-foot, double door, 5283 cubic foot capacity boxcars, were one of the later variations in this series. Records show that some (but likely not all) were built between May and June 1977 by FMC in Portland, OR.

Road Name History: The RF&P ran from Richmond, Virginia north 114 miles to Potomac Yard (known widely as Pot Yard) on the river near Washington D.C. The purpose of the line was to link the Pennsylvania Railroad and Baltimore & Ohio lines to the northeast with the Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic Coast Line lines to the south. There were few branchlines of consequence and the mainline was entirely double tracked with no grades to speak of. It was operated as a single route as early as 1901 although the route north of Quantico actually belonged to a PRR subsidiary called the Washington Southern. RF&P absorbed the Washington Southern in 1920. There were also connections with Southern and C&O but C&O traffic in the area was almost entirely east-west and Southern had their own line to Washington D.C.

Traffic was heavy and fast. Pacifics were used for freight and passenger service. These were supplanted by 4-8-2 Mountains then by Northerns and Berkshires. Aside from some Alco switchers, RF&P was an entirely EMD road in the diesel era. E8’s and FP7’s hauled the passengers (mostly PRR, SAL and ACL trains) while F5’s and F7’s hauled freight with GP7’s in support. The second generation brought GP35’s, and GP40’s for road service. The diesel fleet usually ran just under 40 units for the 114 mile line (indicating very heavy traffic.) As a rule, even numbered units faced north and odd numbered units faced south. Road switchers were equipped with dual cab controls and running long hood forward was common.

By 1987, RF&P’s situation had changed. The former PRR connection had mostly faded as Amtrak operated the line to the northeast and not Conrail. That left the former B&O on the north end and the former Seaboard System on the south end. Both were now part of CSX. RF&P was still a vital link but it didn’t make sense to be a separate railroad. CSX already owned much of the stock but a quarter of the shares of RF&P were owned by the state of Virginia’s state employee retirement fund. In the end, CSX gave the state fund the property rights to Potomac Yard in exchange for all of the stock. Pot Yard originated or terminated very little traffic with nearly every train just running through so the property was ripe for development. In fact there was talk of turning part of the property into a new stadium for the Washington Redskins. In the end, it became commercial property instead. The state was happy and CSX closed the gap on their system map. RF&P merged into CSX in 1991.

Brand/Importer Information: MDC Roundhouse was founded in California in 1938 and relocated in 1993 to Carson City, Nevada due to statewide restrictions on painting. MDC Roundhouse was a producer of both RTR (Ready-to-Run) and kit versions of N Scale rolling stock as well as RTR locomotives. They entered the N scale market in 1979 with a Thrall Hi-Side Gondola and a Hi-Cube Single Door Box Car. MDC Roundhouse was purchased by Horizon Hobbies in June of 2004, when its owner since 1938 C. H. Menteer retired, and merged into their Athearn line.

Unlike many of their contemporaries which contracted with European firms to produce their products, MDC made their own toolings. They made several popular body styles and produced them for road names that many other vendors (even Micro-Trains) wouldn't touch. This made them popular with modelers. Also, their un-assembled "kits" permitted a lower price point so they were popular with "runners" as well as "modelers".

Of particular interest was the attention given to modern 50 foot steel boxcars. They made some attempt to accurately mold the differences into distinct models to represent each of the major prototype manufacturers products. They have distinct toolings not only for the different products from FMC, BFF and PS, but also multiple models for each of these manufacturers including "standard" vs "Youngstown" doors and "waffle" vs. "rib" sides. In total they produced 13 different versions of the 50 foot steel boxcar.