I recently purchased a Walthers HO 86' double door high cube boxcar lettered for NS. I know that NS has or had these cars because I have seen photos of them, but I haven't ever seen one since I started railfanning about 8 years ago. My question is, do they still use these cars, and if so, are they more or less restricted to certain lines? Thanks for any help anyone can offer.
Tom
The NS most certainly run hi cube boxcars. they are seen quite frequently on the Illinois Division, from Kansas City, to Detroit and out East, and South. To my knowledge, there are no line restrictions on these cars, as they are not as tall as a modern tri-level auto rack car. The hi cubes measure 19 10" tall if I recall corectly. Now, these cars are not as common as they were back in the 70s, and 80s, but they are still around. Speaking of models, Lionel is actually doing a true to scale 86 ft 4 door hi cube in O scale (3 rail), but with the correct draft gear boxes for us 2 rail guys! I saw the pilot model last month at Trainfest in Milwaukeee, and it is absolutely stunning. Not the usual crap from the big "L"..... I was awestruck to say the least, as it has the detail level of an Atlas O Masterline car.
Thanks for the reply. I should have known it would happen. Didn't I see 4 of them together on a mixed freight this past Sunday headed toward Conway Yard.
Hurray for Lionel. O scale may be be transitioning from O gauge, only 60 years too late.