My N Scale Freight Car Roster

  • AAR Type Codes
  • AAR Loading Gauge
    • PLATE B: Unrestricted interchange service standard adopted in 1946. Revised 1972, 1983, 1988.
      PLATE C:  Limited interchange service standard (will clear 95% of total rail mileage) adopted in 1963: revised 1983, 1988, 1991.
    • EXW –
      EXH – Height of the car at the sills.
      EW – Width of the car at the sills, excluding ladders and grab irons.
      EWH – Height of the car including running boards.
      IL – Inside Length
      IW – Inside Width
      IH – Inside Height
      CUFT – Cubic feet capacity
  • Boxcars
  • Incentive Per Diem (IPD) Boxcars
  • Railbox
    • 1932 ARA Boxcars
    • 1937 AAR Box Cars
    • XIH 40ft Box Cars
    • FMC 5077 50ft Box Cars
      This is FMC’s entry into the Plate B IPD (Incentive Per Diem) box car era. The design was intended to be the “most universal”, interchangeable on most common railroad clearances. The cars were available with and without end-of-car cushioning and offered several door configurations. Over 4,300 cars were produced from 1975-1979 by FMC’s Portland, Oregon plant. The cars were delivered in numerous colourful shortline paint schemes and the nationwide carpool fleet of Railbox. Many secondhand cars were later seen in Class 1 railroads and large leasing company fleets under additional shortline reporting marks.
    • FMC 5327
    • FMC 5347 50ft Box Cars (Athearn) Trovestar
      It was the mid-1970s, and the incentive per diem box car boom was beginning. New, brightly painted box cars seemed to appear overnight. Many were lettered for various short lines. FMC (Food Machinery Corporation) built many of these cars. The 50’ outside post, non-terminating end box car, became the foundation for new per diem cars built in the 1970s. The 50’ FMC cars also varied in door configuration and style to suit each customer.
    • 56′ Thrall All-Door Boxcar
    • 53′ Evans
      This 53′ boxcar was manufactured in the 1960s and ’70s by Evans Company and was used primarily to haul produce, wood and paper products, and canned goods. This railcar is an insulated RBL (Railcar, Passenger Service, Insulated) featuring a 16-foot opening and double plug doors.
      https://archive.atlasrr.com/NFreight/arc-n53evans.htm
    • NSC 50′ Plug Door Box Car
      Steel boxcars became the de facto standard for railcar service sometime in the late 1950s. Every major railcar manufacturer had their own version. Plug-door cars held a better seal for air coming in and out of the car interior and operated much the same way a modern minivan side door works. A common feature for plug-door cars such as the offering from NSC was an insulated interior to further protect the contents from the elements. From 1975 to 1980 National Steel Car built over one-thousand 50’6” single-plug door box cars. This being the post-roof walk era, these cars have a simple aluminium roof. Model 5277 had an interior capacity of 5,277 c.f. and model 5177 had a capacity of 5,177 c.f. Most of the 100-ton cars went to Canadian railroads primarily for paper service. Two hundred 70-ton cars went into food service for the Grand Trunk Western.
    • 60 Foot Auto Parts Box Car (Atlas)
    • 62 Foot Insulated Box Car Bx-177 (Atlas)
    • FMC 5272
    • FMC 50 Foot 5283 Boxcar (Fox Valley)
      MEC 31000-31249
      These 50′-7″, 75 ton, box cars were built by FMC (Lot 176117) in 9/1974. They featured 10′ Youngstown sliding doors, Keystone cushioned underframes and 5283 ft3 capacity.
    • FMC 50 Foot 5272
      MEC 31250-31749
      These 50′-6″, 75 ton, box cars were built by FMC (Lot 17660) in 10-12/1976. They featured 10′ Youngstown doors, Keystone 20″ travel cushion underframes and 5272 ft3 capacity.
      MEC 31750-31899
      These 50′-6″, 75 ton, box cars were built by FMC (Lot 17977) in 11/1978. They featured a 5272 ft3 capacity.
    • FMC 50 Foot 5347 (Athearn)
      MEC 31900-32149
      These 50′-6″, 75 ton, box cars were built by FMC (Lot 18175) in 5-6/1980. They featured 10″ EOC Freightmaster cushioning, lading band anchors, 10′ sliding doors and 5347 ft3 capacity.
      http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/other_cars/mec_cars/mec_number/031900-032149.htm
    • BF&F (Berwick Foundry & Forge) 50 Foot 5277 (Athearn)
      MEC 35000-35199
      These 50′-6″, 75 ton, box cars were built by BF&F (Lot 46800) in 6-7/1981. They featured 10′ Superior sliding doors and a 5277 ft capacity.
    • PC&F 50-ft 70-ton Insulated Box Car (Wheels of Time)
      wheelsotime.com/50-ft-insulated-box-car/
    • PC&F 50-ft Exterior Post, Insulated Boxcars (Wheels of Time)
      wheelsotime.com/pcf-exterior-post-insulated-b/
  • Covered Hoppers
  • Flat Cars
  • Gondolas
  • Open Hoppers
  • Tank Cars
    • Tank Car, 20.9K, General Service (Rapido)
    • Tank Car, Single Dome, Acid (Athearn)

Car Components

  • DL&W – Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
  • L&HR – Lehigh and Hudson River Railway
  • http://rr-fallenflags.org/bar/bar.html
  • http://rr-fallenflags.org/mec/mec-frt.html
AAR TypeDescription
XIInsulated box car with side door or side and end doors, wholly or partially insulated. No ventilating devices or refrigeration.
XMGeneral service box car with side door or side and end doors

https://www.opsig.org/files/resources/AARFreightCarCodes.pdf

Reporting MarkNameYearsStates
ACYAkron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad 1907-1982Ohio
ACAlgoma Central Railway 1899-Northern Ontario
ACLAtlantic Coast Line Railroad1900-1967Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
AAAnn Arbor Railroad 1895-1976Michigan and Ohio
ATSFAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 1859-1996Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
ACLAtlantic Coast Line Railroad 1900-1967Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
B&OBaltimore and Ohio Railroad 1828-1987Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia
BARBangor and Aroostook Railroad1891-2003Maine
B&ABoston and Albany Railroad 1833-1961Massachusetts and eastern New York
BMBoston and Maine Corporation 1836-1983Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont
BC&GBuffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad 1904-1965 
CNCanadian National Railway 1919- 
CPCanadian Pacific Railway 1881- 
CGCentral of Georgia Railway 1895-1963Georgia, Alabama
CNJCentral Railroad of New Jersey Jersey Central1839-1976New Jersey, Pennsylvania
CVCentral Vermont 1848-1995Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and Quebec
COChesapeake and Ohio Railway 1868-1987District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin
CBQChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad 1849-1970Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming
CILChicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway 1847-1971Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky
MILWChicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad 1847-1986Midwestern and western United States
CGWChicago Great Western Railway 1885-1968Minneapolis, Minnesota, Oelwein, Iowa, Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Kansas and Omaha, Nebraska
RIChicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadRock Island1852-1980Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas
CNWChicago and North Western Transportation Company 1865-1995Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
CRRClinchfield Railroad 1902-1983Spartanburg, South Carolina to Elkhorn City, Kentucky
D&RGWDenver and Rio Grande Western Railroad 1870-1988Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico
DHDelaware and Hudson Railway 1823-1991Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Vermont, Virginia
DLWDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad 1851-1960Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey
DT&MDetroit, Toledo and Milwaukee Railroad 1905-1983Michigan and Ohio
ERIEErie Railroad 1832-1960New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
GTWGrand Trunk Western Railroad 1859-2001Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
GNGreat Northern Railway 1889-1970British Columbia, California, Idaho, Iowa, Manitoba, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin
KCSKansas City Southern Railway 1887- 
LNELehigh & New England Railroad1895-1961New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
LVLehigh Valley Railroad 1846–1976New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
     
MECMaine Central 1862-1981Maine, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, Vermont, Quebec
     
MPMissouri Pacific Railroad 1872-1982Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas
NC&StLNashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis RailwayDixie Line1851-1957Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia
NKPNew York, Chicago & St. Louis RailroadNickel Plate Road1881-1964 
NHNew York, New Haven & Hartford RailroadNew Haven1872-1968Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island
NYOWNew York, Ontario & Western Railway1884-1957North Jersey, Upstate New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania
NYSWNew York, Susquehanna and Western Railway1881-New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
N&WNorfolk and Western Railway1870-1982 
PRRPennsylvania Railroad 1846-1968Northeastern United States
PLEPittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad 1875-1993 
NYCNew York Central Railroad 1853-1968Northeast to Midwest
NWNorfolk and Western Railway 1870-1982Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio
     
RDGReading Railroad 1833–1976Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
RFPRichmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad 1836-1991 
RUTRutland Railroad 1843-1963New York and Vermont
     
SPSouthern Pacific Transportation Company 1865–1996Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah
SSWSt. Louis Southwestern RailwayCotton Belt1891–1997Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas
SLSFSt. Louis–San Francisco RailwayFrisco1876-1980Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas
     
TMTexas Mexican Railway 1877-2005Maryland, Virginia
TPWToledo, Peoria and Western Railway 1863- 
THBToronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway 1892-1987Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
     
UPUnion Pacific Railroad 1862- 
     
WMWestern Maryland Railway 1852-1983Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia
WPWestern Pacific Railroad 1903–1983 

AAR Interchange Rules by Year

1966: 10/01/66 Federal ban on running boards for new cars delivered. CFR Title 49 Subtitle B Chapter II Part 231 Section 231.27
1967: 1/01/1967 High mount hand brakes prohibited on new cars
1968: ACI labels introduced
1970: Initial proposed date to require ACI labels in interchange
1972: Final date for ACI labels required in interchange. AAR recommends single-panel COTS stencils, for new & rebuilt cars
1974: Running boards to be removed from all cars (extended). Two-panel COTS stencil required by FRA, all cars
1978: White dot/yellow dot wheel inspection begins. ACI labels are no longer required for interchange
1981: White dot/yellow dot wheel inspection ends
1982: Third version COTS, Jan 1 1982
1983: Running boards outlawed on all boxcars/reefers

More Information

  • Wilson, Jeff. Freight Cars of the ’40s and ’50s. Kalmbach Books, 2015.