Micro-Trains - 54050 - Flatcar, Bulkhead - Willamina & Grand Ronde - 2022

Prototype History: Among the earliest types of freight cars, flatcars continue to serve as a valuable part of railroading. Flatcars are used to move a wide variety of loads which do not require protection from weather. These cars, are constructed with steel underframes, wood floors and stake pockets on the sides and ends for fastening tie-downs that keep loads from shifting.

Bulkhead flat cars are a specialized type of flatcar designed which includes reinforced end-walls (bulkheads) to prevent loads from shifting past the ends of the car.

Road Name History: The WGR was built as a subsidiary of Spaulding-Miami Lumber Company in 1922. It ran from a connection with Southern Pacific at Willamina, Oregon to Fort Hill, 5 miles away. In 1955, the railroad was sold to Longview Portland & Northern and operated as LP&N’s Grand Ronde Division for the next 25 years. In 1980, it was sold to two local brothers and an independent WGR was reborn. Four years later, the same brothers purchased the remaining portion of the Valley & Siletz, re-named it the Willamette Valley Railroad and in 1986 merged the Willamina & Grand Ronde into the Willamette Valley.

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.