Lowell Smith - LSSE 2023 - Boxcar, 40 Foot, PS-1 - Painted/Lettered - 2123

Specific Item Information: 2023 Convention Concept Car

You may never know the lasting impression you have on someone.

As a child, I have this most vivid memory of going down into a farmhouse basement. What awaited made a lasting impression that would effect my life, and indirectly, yours.

We lived in Chico, California, and I was in kindergarten. My parents drove my brother, my grandma, and me to the Southern Pacific station in Gerber where she boarded the Shasta Daylight for her return trip to Portland. The only photos we have of the event were in View-Master, and as such, are difficult to copy. Right now, they are hard for me to find, as well.

I think it was that trip that we visited the Humann Farm and the annual Open House of the South Shasta Lines, an O Scale railroad that was being built by Godfrey Humann. The story of his South Shasta Lines is told in several issues of Model RailRoader and at least one in Rail Model Craftsman. (Godfrey Humann, a farmer from the small town of Gerber just south of Red Bluff.

The big model trains ran from town-to-town over bridges and through tunnels. As a five-year old, it was like a dream. I think that was the day I fell in love with trains. I have never been the same.

What if that open house had never been? What if Mom and Dad did not make the effort to go and see? That lasting forever memory is still with me. What impact will you have on a young life? You won’t know unless you try.

Burned into my mind, in the evening light, is the red-tail light of the ‘Shasta Daylight’. It’s gyrations telling this five-year old good-bye from his grandma. I remember the tears. -- June 14, 2023 / Lowell Smith

Model Information: This is Micro-Trains first body style. It was introduced in 1972. Its is a model of a Pullman-Standard PS-1 boxcar from circa 1957. Micro-Trains does not market it as a PS-1 so as to allow themselves some latitude so they can use this car to model non-PS prototypes. Hundreds of different releases have used this body style in various paint schemes and road names. They are equipped with 6' sliding doors, either Youngstown (4/5/4 rib pattern) or Superior (7 panels). It is not a model of a "modern" steel boxcar as the length (40 foot) and the roofwalk are more typical of the transition era (1939 - 1957).

In 2019, Micro-Trains started releasing this model with new body-mounted couplers attached to a new underframe.

Prototype History: The 40' Boxcar is widely known as one of the most popular freight cars used by railroads as they transitioned from steam to diesel. In particular the Pullman Standard or PS-1 design was one of the most popular and was widely used by North American railroads. These boxcars were built beginning in 1947 and share the same basic design, with certain elements such as door size, door style or roof type varying among the different railroads and production years. When production of these cars ceased in 1963, over 100,000 had been produced.

So just what is a PS-1? Well the simple answer is it is any boxcar built by Pullman Standard from 1947 on. The design changed over the years – sometimes subtly, sometimes for customer request, and sometimes in a larger way. In general, most PS-1’s built from 1947 to 1961 share the same dimensions and basic construction techniques. These cars all had a length of 40′, a height of 10’5″ or 10’6″, welded sides and ends and roof of Pullman’s own design. The greatest variation was in the size and style of doors used. Pullman Standard also offered 50′ and later 60′ boxcars – also with the PS-1 designation.

Road Name History: Some items are designed to have their owner add whatever company marking they choose, usually in the form of decals or dry-transfers. These items are painted in a generic prototypical fashion but with all company affiliation deliberately left off.
These items can be lettered or numbered, but without any company name on it.

Brand/Importer Information: Desiring to bring a creative and artistic approach to model railroad cars, Lowell Smith Signature Series was born in 1994. The first special run car commemorated the Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the Golden Spike - "Wedding of the Rails". Since 1994, Lowell Smith Signature Series has continued to produce over one hundred and thirty-five unique cars or train locomotives to date.

The product lines showcased in this website include creations inspired by Americana, such as the Great American Circus, American Fruit Packers and a special tribute to our Nation's National Parks. In 2008, Lowell was also asked to produce a line for the Walt Disney Company®, both at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco as well as Disneyland® Main Street USA.

Lowell Smith Signature Series continues to develop fun and innovative ideas and encourages you to join the e-newsletter updates so you can stay current on what's coming next.

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

Commissioner Information: Desiring to bring a creative and artistic approach to model railroad cars, Lowell Smith Signature Series was born in 1994. The first special run car commemorated the Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the Golden Spike - "Wedding of the Rails". Since 1994, Lowell Smith Signature Series has continued to produce over one hundred and thirty-five unique cars or train locomotives to date.

A native of Portland, Oregon, Lowell Smith married his church choir sweetheart Barb in 1978. After a lifetime of rail-fanning, Lowell and Barb ventured out in 1992 to launch a new business in Portland, Oregon.
Following Lowell's passion of model trains, The Hobby Smith was built to be the community center for model railroaders - operators and collectors alike. Located in the Hollywood District of Portland, The Hobby Smith was the place to learn and to enjoy the camaraderie of others with the same passion.