These cars first appeared in the mid-60s and are still in use today. Unlike general service freight cars, auto parts boxes are assigned
to pools based on a mileage formula and often spend most of their time off home rails. In other words, “foreign road” cars usually
out-number home road cars in a given parts train to the point that if you missed the locomotives passing, you would have a hard time
telling whose train it was!
Here is the Second Batch...
86031 Norfolk Southern (SOU) double door single car; 86032 Norfolk Southern (SOU) 2-pack.
For years following the 1982 merger of N&W and Southern, Norfolk Southern continued to use NW and SOU
reporting marks, even on newly created number series and new cars.
86041 Santa Fe double door single car; 86042 Santa Fe 2-pack.
By the mid 70s, Santa Fe settled on this paint scheme for its 86 footers as they came due for repainting.
87021 Milwaukee Road quad door single car.
Essentially wearing it ’s “as-built ”paint job, this car received a Plate Stencil,Con-Stencil and
an ACI tag within a few years as shown here.
Batch 3 will feature the 1960s and early 70s. Of course, countless more will follow!...