Intermountain has, for the first time in quite a while, maybe ever, re-issued the Red Caboose, ex-Front Range, 40′ boxcar in HO. The status is currently ‘taking reservations’, which in IM-speak means this model has been designed and they applied lettering to one to put it on the website to gauge interest. If not enough reservations, no production.

There is one offered in MoPac Route of the Eagles paint, stock number RR-38703. It’s supposed to represent the DeSoto-built 35825-36174 of 1956 with 8′ Youngstown door, but there were substantially identical cars in series from there up to 38524 and beyond, except for some having Superior doors. In other words, a pretty common car of its era. It doesn’t have the unique MP DeSoto sidesill reinforcement, as if anyone should wonder.

The definitive article on the MoPac steel 40′ boxcars was in the Eagle Summer 1995, by Ed Hawkins.

The model has its faults. It remains to be seen exactly how much Intermountain has improved it. As memory serves, the originals were ok but were quickly swamped when the Branchline (now Atlas) car came out. The lettering on the sample car in the photo is just ok, in my judgment it’s a good layout model.

What attracted my attention is the fact that Intermountain is also releasing the welded-side 8′ door version of this model (not in MP paint, but in Wabash at least), so filling the need for some of those last new 40′ cars that were still being built up to and past 1960. I’ll be ordering a few undecs.

RG7