Moloco 70003-04 – Delivery 2-57 N.P. (period Scheme) + 8′ NPR Monad, Brainerd Built 50′ XM 15-0 Double-slider Boxcar Northern Pacific (NP) 6950 – HO Scale

After many years of successful 40-foot boxcar design and manufacturing at the Brainerd Shops in Brainerd, MN, times were changing and that meant cars needed to get longer. In 1955 the Northern Pacific Brainerd Shops started to build one of their most successful groups of 50-foot general service boxcar designs. These distinctive centered double-slider arrangement was not a common one, but it was NPs solution to their forestry based service area. The initial rivetted design of 1955 utilized many off the shelf car body components by Stanray, ends and roof panels, along with two Youngstown 7.5 foot sliding doors. Being added to Brainerd shop design and fabricated frames and sides. (500 cars)

The following year (1956) a new design (the subject of our model) emerged with a spec. change to Youngstown sides added to the design. With their distinctive diagonal panels on either side of the door opening meant a design change to the frame and associated side sill with a pronounced dip in the sill. These changes stiffened up the overall car and particularly the door opening. Brainerd manufactured 1350 cars of this design from 1956 to 1959 quite a feat considering that equated to about two cars a day. Perhaps the reason to purchase Youngstown sides instead to keep up with production levels. Being of Plate B clearance standard translated to unlimited service to all rail lines in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The following 1960-61 years another design change evolved with welded sides and Superior double-sliders, but basically the same distinctive centering of the doors remained. (500 cars)

As NP was changing their visual design, they went from the Arch lettering layout to the increase size of NP lettering and an increased size in Monad. However, the first go around with the NP increased sizing was to add periods after the N. and P. A nod to replicating the typical reporting mark design. So, therefore this was the next scheme to be solidified in the NP suite of designs.

Also, due to the increased size of the right-side Monad to 8-feet, the “Vista-Dome” slogan had to be re-organized and stacked in four lines.

DESIGN FEATURES

• Differing lettering placements for individual car numbers for repainted cars
• Accurately applied roofwalks or not with cut down ladders to match era specific schemes
• Car number specific handbrakes, Ajax, Ellcon-National, Equipco, Klasing or Universal
• Fixed frame design with manual brake wear controls
• Brainerd designed etched roofwalk specifically designed
• Wire parts for ALL brake rods, air pipes, and stirrups in specific NP styles
• Durable rubber air hoses and metal corner stirrups
• 50t trucks with metal wheels and axles
• Highly detailed welded Stanray R3-4 ends uniquely used by the Brainerd Shops
• Distinctive 8 run long style ladders on sides and ends
• Researched accurate lettering, from the smallest stencils to the nuisances of the Monads so distinctive of the day
• Kadee ”Scale” Whisker couplers