Page 40 - 38. MRH13-04-Apr2013
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Getting Real Column - 8
becomes broader, and also more focused on exactly which
choices are most distinctive or attractive to model.
Another railroad that had one of the largest freight car fleets
was the Missouri Pacific Lines, seventh overall in my ranking of
non-hopper freight fleets. And in this case, as with the D&RGW,
I have chosen a gondola as well as a boxcar for a pair of signa-
ture cars. The gondola is a distinctive design for two reasons:
the inside length is 45 feet, and the sides have raised panels to
increase somewhat the cubic capacity (10).
During 1937 to 1942, Pressed Steel Car and Mt. Vernon deliv-
ered 2400 of these cars to Mopac and its subsidiaries. The
subsidiary lines included the International-Great Northern,
Missouri-Illinois, and St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico. But the
majority of the cars, 1775, went to Missouri Pacific itself, and
were numbered 22000–23774. In 1948, the railroad’s DeSoto,
Missouri shops built 1000 more of these 45-foot cars, though
this time with smooth side panels.
10: A model of the distinctive Missouri Pacific panel-
side gondolas, 45 feet long, of which 2400 were built
and nearly all of which remained in service in 1953.
The model is from a Sunshine resin kit. The machinery
crate load is scratchbuilt.
10
11: This car represents one of more than 3200 box
cars of 1932 ARA standard design owned by Missouri
Pacific and subsidiaries (in this case, International-
Great Northern or I-GN). At the time these cars were
built, Missouri Pacific painted placard boards black.
The model is an Atlas ready-to-run car.
11
By 1953, most of these cars remained in service and were a
prominent part of the Mopac gondola fleet. Though Mopac
rostered only 14% gondolas, compared to a national average
of 20%, these 45-foot cars nevertheless amounted to more
than a third of all Mopac gondolas in 1953. Combined with its
distinctive panel-side appearance, that makes it a significant
car, in my view.
My second choice is one of the ARA 1932 boxcars. Missouri
Pacific purchased the largest number of these cars of any
railroad, 3250 cars, and given the pivotal importance of this
car design in freight car history, it seemed an unavoidable
choice as a signature car for Mopac. As already mentioned for
the 1932 ARA design, the best and most complete source is
The American Railway Association Standard Box Car of 1932
MRH-Apr 2013
