Micro-Trains - 149 00 330 - Passenger Car, Heavyweight, ACF Horse - Southern - 4200

Specific Item Information: This 70’ heavyweight horse car is Pullman green with gold lettering and runs on 6-wheel passenger car trucks. This car was originally built in 1926 as a horse car, and later repurposed as a baggage car in Railway Express Agency service. Baggage agents preferred working with converted ex. Horse cars because the third door on each side facilitated loading and unloading.

Model Information: The prototype for this model was built in 1928 by American Car & Foundry (ACF). As typical for heavyweight cars of this era, riding on two 3-axle trucks, these cars are of riveted steel construction. These cars allowed railroads to capitalize on the growing race horse business during the first half of the 20th Century. The interior had convertible gates to adjust to the size and value of the load and could carry as many as 24 horse safely. Later, these cars were used to transport vehicles, theater and circus props across the country.

Prototype History: In the days of railroad-operated passenger trains mail and express shipments handled in baggage, RPO and express boxcars was big business. One of the more unique commodities hauled on passenger trains was horses. In the 1920s heavyweight horse cars were purchased by several lines to haul racehorses and other high-value equines. Features of these cars included end doors and three side baggage doors. Inside movable partitions could be arranged to fit the load. Thanks to their unique doors and partitions, later in their lives these cars also handled theatrical props, circus animals and autos and many lasted into the 1960s.

Road Name History: The Southern Railway (reporting mark SOU) (also known as Southern Railway Company) was a US class 1 railroad that was based in the Southern United States. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894.

At the end of 1970 Southern operated 6,026 miles (9,698 km) of railroad, not including its Class I subsidiaries AGS (528 miles or 850 km) CofG (1729 miles) S&A (167 miles) CNOTP (415 miles) GS&F (454 miles) and twelve Class II subsidiaries. That year Southern itself reported 26111 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 110 million passenger-miles; AGS reported 3854 and 11, CofG 3595 and 17, S&A 140 and 0, CNO&TP 4906 and 0.3, and GS&F 1431 and 0.3

The railroad joined forces with the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) in 1982 to form the Norfolk Southern Corporation. The Norfolk Southern Corporation was created in response to the creation of the CSX Corporation (its rail system was later transformed to CSX Transportation in 1986). The Southern Railway was renamed Norfolk Southern Railway in 1990 and continued under that name ever since. Seven years later in 1997 the railroad absorbed the Norfolk and Western Railway, ending the Norfolk and Western's existence as an independent railroad.

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