Micro-Trains - 36010 - Boxcar, 50 Foot, Steel, Plug Door - Tropicana - 13083

Prototype History: The 50-foot boxcar made its first appearance in the 1930s and steadily grew in popularity over the years, which further improved redundancies by allowing for even more space within a given car. Today, the 50-footer remains the common boxcar size. After the second world war ended, and steel became once again readily available, steel became the go-to choice for construction of boxcars. Pullman Standard and ACF were some of the most prolific builders of these cars.

In the 1960s, the flush, "plug" style sliding door was introduced as an option that provides a larger door to ease loading and unloading of certain commodities. The tight-fitting doors are better insulated and allow a car's interior to be maintained at a more even temperature.

Road Name History: Tropicana Products, Inc. is an American multinational company which primarily makes fruit-based beverages. It was founded in 1947 by Anthony T. Rossi in Bradenton, Florida. Since 1998, it has been owned by PepsiCo. Tropicana's headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois. The company specializes in the production of orange juice.

The Tropicana story begins with Anthony T. Rossi, who arrived in the U.S. with just $25 in his pocket. He founded Tropicana in 1947 with the mission of making the goodness of the finest fruit accessible to everyone. He developed flash pasteurization and pioneered orange juice transport in 1970 via train from Florida to New York. As Tropicana continues to grow, we have Anthony Rossi to thank for creating the spirit of innovation and fresh thinking that continues at Tropicana today.

From Wikipedia

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: 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.
In October 1990 Kadee separated in two companies, with the newly created Micro-Trains® Line Co. continuing the Z, Nn3, and N Scale product ranges, with Kadee retaining the HO range.