Announcement July 12

All items are N scale. All Bluford Shops cars come ready-to-run with magnetically operating knuckle style couplers, and metal detail parts. First draft artwork shown, subject to improvement by Bluford's crack development team!

Louisville & Nashville 2nd version 86’ boxcars. L&N purchased hundreds of these auto-parts cars from three different builders over a 13 year period beginning in 1964. This particular group was delivered in 1968 and was initially assigned for loading on the N&W in Buffalo for delivery to several plants across much of the nation. Big plants in Louisville, Atlanta and suburban St. Louis guaranteed L&N’s membership in several big boxcar pools. This roadname will be available as a single and 2-pack: 86541 Louisville & Nashville 2nd version $29.85; 86542 Louisville & Nashville 2nd version 2-pack $59.70.

Cotton Belt (big SP) 2nd run 86’ boxcars. This is our second run of Cotton Belt boxcars (the first was three years ago.) We will be doing two brand new road numbers. This group rolled out of the P-S Bessemer plant late in 1967 and was also initially assigned to Ford in Buffalo for loading. This roadname will be available as two different singles: 86550 Cotton Belt (big SP) 2nd run single $29.85; 86551 Cotton Belt (big SP) 2nd run single $29.85.

Southern Pacific (big SP) 86’ boxcars. This group was delivered by Greenville to Cotton Belt’s parent Southern Pacific almost two years later. While the gray arrows, big SP and “Hy-Cube Cushion-Car” lettering were the same, nearly all of the other lettering was different from their SSW predecessors, notably the “SOUTHERN PACIFIC” in the upper left. This roadname will be available as two different singles: 86560 Southern Pacific (big SP) 2nd run single $29.85; 86561 Southern Pacific (big SP) 2nd run single $29.85.

Texas & Pacific (MP) 86’ boxcars. Missouri Pacific had asserted stock control over the Texas & Pacific since the 1920s but T&P remained a separate railroad with their own practices and image for four decades. However, by the time this group of cars was delivered to T&P by P-S in December of 1967, The Missouri Pacific Lines buzzsaw logo had replaced T&P’s diamond and the border between the operations had begun to blur. Nine years later, the Texas & Pacific would finally be fully merged into MoPac and even the T.P. reporting marks would gradually disappear. This group was initially assigned for loading on the New York Central in Monroe, Michigan. This roadname will be available as a single and 2-pack: 86571 Texas & Pacific (MP) $29.85; 86572 Texas & Pacific (MP) 2-pack $59.70.

Chicago & Eastern Illinois (buzzsaw) 86’ boxcars. In 1967, a dispute between the MoPac and the L&N over control of the C&EI was settled. MoPac took control of the C&EI and sold the Evansville Line and a half interest in the line from Chicago to Danville to L&N. At this point, a buzzsaw version of the C&EI logo was developed and Jenks Blue began replacing black on C&EI diesels. C&EI received this group of boxcars from Greenville in 1969 in the new standard C&EI paint scheme. The C&EI would finally be merged with MoPac in 1976. This roadname will be available as two different singles: 86580 Chicago & Eastern Illinois (buzzsaw) single $29.85; 86581 Chicago & Eastern Illinois (buzzsaw) single $29.85.

Canadian Pacific CPAA as delivered 86’ boxcars. The 60s was an era of big logos and flashy paint so this large group of cars delivered by P-S in the Fall of 1967 is a notable exception for the time. The owner of this group was actually United States Railway Equipment and Canadian Pacific leased the cars from them. This may account for the paint scheme. The CPAA reporting marks were used by Canadian Pacific for cars built in the U.S., and assigned to cross-border traffic only. In this case, the cars were initially assigned for loading at a Ford plant on the DT&I in Dearborn, Michigan. Some could be seen four decades later in their original paint! This roadname will be available as two different singles: 86590 Canadian Pacific CPAA as delivered single $29.85; 86591 Canadian Pacific CPAA as delivered single $29.85. We have received a surprising number of requests for this car from our Canadian friends so we happy to finally make them available in N scale.

Rio Grande orange 86’ boxcars. Rio Grande received this group of cars from Greenville in late 1969. They were originally assigned for loading at a Ford plant on the Penn Central in Utica, Michigan. Rio Grande had no auto assembly plants on their line but their position as a bridge route between the Midwest and West Coast obliged them to contribute cars to several pools. As a result these cars were often found far from home rails. This run will be available in 3 road numbers. 86521 Rio Grande orange single car $29.85; 86522 Rio Grande orange 2-pack $59.70.

Detroit & Toledo Shore Line 86’ boxcars. Detroit & Toledo Shore Line received this batch of cars from Greenville in 1969. The D&TS was just 50 miles long linking Detroit with Toledo but was double tracked and handled a large volume of traffic. Grand Trunk Western and Norfolk & Western (formerly Nickel Plate) each owned a 50% interest in the line. Nickel Plate had bought into the line to have a friendly connection to reach Detroit and GTW used it to reach Toledo. As you can see, the tilted square logo resembles GTW’s pre-1960 logo, while their black and yellow diesel paint scheme resembled that of the other parent Nickel Plate Road. It’s position gave it a vital role in the movement of auto parts. In 1981, GTW bought N&W’s share and merged the line into its system (leaving N&W to use their former Wabash routes to reach Detroit.) These cars joined the GTW fleet, some remaining in this paint scheme for close to two decades. This roadname will be available in 3 road numbers. 86531 Detroit & Toledo Shore Line single car $29.85; 86532 Detroit & Toledo Shore Line 2-pack $59.70.