During World War I the US railroads were struggling to keep up with wartime traffic, in part because of a shortage of service- able freight cars. In an attempt to solve this problem, President Wilson nationalized the railroads under the United States Railway Administration, or USRA. One of the first tasks assigned to the USRA was to develop common designs for new freight cars. Among these was a 40’ double-sheathed wood boxcar with a fishbelly steel underframe.

Starting in 1918, nearly 25,000 copies of the double-sheathed boxcar were built and delivered to 24 railroads throughout the country. The cars were well received, and many cars continued in regular service on many roads into the 1950s with many updated to the newer AB-brake system.

Rapido’s new model of the USRA double-sheathed boxcar features an all-new body with correct fishbelly underframe and correct free-standing details. Models will be equipped with either KC or AB brakes as appropriate. These cars fill a need for a state-of-the-art model of this common car on any transition-era or earlier period layout.

Model Features

• Accurate new tooling
• Correct details including roof and handbrake
• KC or AB brakes as appropriate
• Full underbody with separate brake rods and piping
• Accurate decoration
• Fully decorated and assembled
• Factory-installed Macdonald-Cartier couplers
• USRA Andrews trucks with in-line brake shoes
• Blackened turned-metal wheels

KC Brakes

The following roads come equipped with KC brakes.

• AT&SF
• CB&Q
• Rock Island
• DL&W
• Great Northern
• M&StL
• Missouri Pacific
• New York Central
• Pere Marquette
• Frisco
• Wabash