ESM HO XIH Boxcar production run photos

[bbussey]

Eastern Seaboard Models' XIH Boxcar (HO) is scheduled to ship from the factory in September.  Here are some photos of the production run approval samples.  The truck frame bracing detail underneath the bottom of the InterMountain trucks was omitted from the samples inadvertently but are included on the final models.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Very nice! How have the pre-orders been?

[bbussey]

Strong.

[davefoxx]

Did those cars get to North Carolina?  Because, if so, I’d like to support the cause, hoping they’d fit my 1970s SCL era.

DFF

[eja]

Did those cars get to North Carolina?  Because, if so, I’d like to support the cause, hoping they’d fit my 1970s SCL era.

DFF

"There is a prototype for everything" seems like an appropriate comment.  Go for it.

[Chris333]

[bbussey]

Did those cars get to North Carolina?  Because, if so, I’d like to support the cause, hoping they’d fit my 1970s SCL era.

They regularly traversed the entire continent year-round, all three countries.  A number of the New Haven cars survived deep into the Penn Central era with their original SoM scheme intact (although a little worse for wear).  The original Bangor & Aroostook cars were active, but long since repainted from the original 1950 Roman-lettering SoM scheme.  Most were all-red by then.  Any in the SoM scheme would have either the Gothic lettering or billboard reporting marks.

[cv_acr]

The original Bangor & Aroostook cars were active, but long since repainted from the original 1950 Roman-lettering SoM scheme.  Most were all-red by then.  Any in the SoM scheme would have either the Gothic lettering or billboard reporting marks.

Will those schemes be offered eventually as well?

The club layout is based in the 1970s and we see some connecting New England traffic that these could pop up in.

[bbussey]

Yes, in the next run that has the SoM scheme, probably the third release.  That would include the PC&F 1953 BAR and probably one of the 1960 SoM repaints.  Next up will be BAR all-red, NH block, PC, CR and probably OKEX.  Maybe next year but probably 2024.  N scale G26 mill gons and GSC well cars first.

[garethashenden]

In case anyone is wondering, the BAR had these for potato traffic. Maine white potatoes are excellent for chips and other fried potatoes and the rail traffic was strong until Penn Central let a trainload rot because they were too disorganized to deliver them. The traffic went to trucks soon after. These boxcars were dual service, potatoes in the winter, paper in the summer.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

In a different vein: what service were the ex NH cars in toward the end of their lives?

[bbussey]

Penn Central and Conrail used them in flour service.  I believe New Haven used them for their original purpose up to the end.

[wcfn100]

One of the public freight car groups on FB has a picture of these cars in paper service.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/853682911333601/permalink/5372582246110289/

Jason

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Penn Central and Conrail used them in flour service.  I believe New Haven used them for their original purpose up to the end.

Flour service you say? Hot *****! Perfecto.