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Greenville Steel Car Company 86’ High Cube Quad Plug Door Box Car

Please click on the images at right for pricing, SKUs, high resolution photos, prototype photos, car number options, and/or to order these HO scale replicas!

Tangent Scale Models is pleased to release a new run of our Greenville 86’ High Cube Quad Plug Door Box Car! Today we will begin to ship our release of six new paint schemes for the industry’s first “high-detail” 86’ quad door auto parts car system in HO scale. This is not a pre-order announcement – our new box cars are available for sale and are shipping right now!

During the 1960s, the most radical freight car designs employed the extreme height clearances offered by Plate F car designs. In 1964, no car type articulated this extreme more than the 86-foot, purpose-built “Auto Parts” boxcars. They became fixtures on the rails all over North American mainlines, riding hot trains to deliver components vital to the productivity of auto plants. While several car builders offered 86’ auto parts boxcars, the most prolific builder was Greenville Steel Car Company of Greenville PA. Greenville produced their Quad Door design in the 1969-1970 period to meet the expanding needs of GM and Oldsmobile production facilities. Like the Double Door cars, these Quad Door cars were acquired by many railroads, and they were assigned to pools where cars from multiple railroads served a specific shipper.

The Tangent Scale Models Greenville 86′ Quad Plug Door Box Car System continues the design and operational standards set by our industry-leading Greenville Double Plug Door box car models. Our product replicates multiple variations of these cars, including two different draft gear combinations, two underframe styles which incorporate Center-of-Car Cushioning and End-Of-Car Cushioning options, and multiple power brake options. We have now released THIRTEEN (13) different build variations of these Greenville prototypes! The Tangent Greenville 86’ Quad Plug Door Box Car includes accurate 70-Ton Barber S-2 Birdsboro Foundry trucks with 33” wheels, and include “spinning” roller bearing caps appropriate for each paint scheme. Finally, our cars are weighted properly and are equipped with genuine Kadee® scale couplers mounted in specially-designed coupler pockets which means they operate as good as they look. Due to the car’s size, we recommend curves of 24” or larger for these models.

Our September 2024 release includes these six new paint schemes – available for purchase today!

– Detroit & Toledo Shore Line (DTS) “Delivery 1-1970 Blue” delivers a sharp-looking car and is one of our most-requested paint schemes for the Greenville 86’ Quad Door box cars. The D&TS ordered 24 cars and were part of Greenville’s first production group in January of 1970. The “Expressway For Industry” slogan fills the center portion of the box car, while the classic angled D&TS logo is carefully reproduced on the right side. This Greenville car features Gypsum style crossover platforms, an Equipco 4000 hand brake housing, accurate End-of-Car Cushioning details with truck mounted brake hardware, and 70-Ton Barber S-2 Trucks with 33” wheels and accurate “Brenco-6” roller bearing caps. Check out all of that fine data on the car side, from the Greenville Dupont paint stencil to the accurate trust lettering. These four numbers are assigned to the B&O at Parma, Ohio in GM Chevrolet service. SKU 25522

– Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) “Delivery 1-1970 Blue” is a big paint scheme for the Greenville 86’ Quad Door box car. The B&O ordered a total of 98 cars delivered across the December 1969-January 1970 period. The B&O script lettering and Capitol Dome Logos are nothing short of classy on this car, with accurate dark blue paint, unpainted (“silver”) doors and white corner “Excess Height” paint. These cars were part of the GM Stamping pool out of Flint, Michigan on the GTW. These 1970 cars have truck-mounted brake gear, accurate Ajax hand brake, End-of-Car Cushioning components and Gypsum crossover platforms, just like the prototype. Riding on accurate Barber S-2 Birdsboro Foundry trucks with 33” wheels and rotating “Timken” roller bearing caps, our B&O “Delivery 1-1970 Blue” models are ready to operate with four different road numbers! SKU 25523

– Canadian National (CNA) “Repaint 1991 Blue” is a hot car, no matter how you look at it. These prototype cars were repainted from the large ex-Grand Truck Western Greenville 86’ Quad Door fleet. This scheme is a product of the 1990s, so you will notice things like the CAPY line is missing from the car side. The doors are loaded with data, including modern safety stickers for opening, door lubrication data and bilingual door closing instructions. Canadian National modelers will be quick to notice that one side of the car is spelled “CANADIAN NATIONAL” while the other is spelled “CANADIEN NATIONAL” per prototype photos. Each door has the “third arm” cranks appropriate for the “modern” era and photos. These prototypes were originally built in 1970, so they have accurate details like truck-mounted brake gear, Ajax hand brake and End-of-Car Cushioning components. The end crossover platforms have been replaced with Morton style parts. The models ride on accurate Barber S-2 Birdsboro Foundry trucks with 33” wheels and rotating “Timken” roller bearing caps. Our CN masterpieces are available in six different numbers. Do not miss out! SKU 25524

– Norfolk & Western (N&W) “Delivery 12-1969 Blue” offers another big paint scheme for our customers. We see you, patient N&W fans. The N&W ordered 21 cars and these were among the first Greenville 86’ Quad Door box cars built. The Pevler blue paint and hamburger logo look great on this big car. The “NORFOLK & WESTERN” graphics are distinctive and accurate for this order of Greenville cars. (Compare the lettering style to Tangent’s recent N&W Blue Thrall 60’ boxcars!) Greenville just had their own style and way of doing things! This 1969-built Greenville group features accurate End-of-Car Cushioning details, Gypsum crossover platforms and truck mounted brake hardware. This N&W B-123 class rides on 100-Ton Barber Low Profile S-2-C Trucks, with 36” wheels and accurate rotating “Timken” roller bearing caps. These cars were part of the GM Indianapolis, Indiana Stamping Plant pool, with a return-when-empty stencil the Indianapolis Union Railway! These beauties are ready to haul auto parts and available in six different road numbers! SKU 25525

– Union Pacific (UP) “Automated Railway 1972+” is a great example to show the ever-changing auto parts pool world. The UP acquired D&RGW’s fleet of two Greenville 86’ Quad Door cars in 1972. The Union Pacific Omaha Shops repainted the cars into handsome UP Armour Yellow and silver colors complete with UP Shield on the left and the colorful “Automated Railway” logo on the right. The models feature all of that accurate Greenville 1970 detailing, including Gypsum style crossover platforms, an Equipco 4000 hand brake housing, accurate Freightmaster End-of-Car Cushioning details with Wabcopac truck-mounted brake hardware, and 70-Ton Barber S-2 Trucks with 33” wheels and rotating “Timken” roller bearing caps. The model features a return Route to the PC RR in Indianapolis, Indiana for GM parts service. This is a sharp looking car and available in one number. Don’t miss it! SKU 25526-01

– Southern (SOU) “Delivery 2-1970 Brown” is one of those schemes we get asked for a lot. We have heard the requests from the Southern fans for more cars, and we have listened! This prototype Southern order served the GM parts pool out of Lansing, Michigan on the GTW. This Southern scheme looks different, with the “SOUTHERN GIVES A GREEN LIGHT TO INNOVATIONS” slogan, car number and CAPY data applied to the center panels of the car. The right side carries the “SUPER CUSHION SERVICE” lettering. This is a gorgeous paint scheme. The models feature their as-built 1970 appearance that includes Gypsum crossover platforms, a Universal hand brake housing (with separate long handle!) and a Universal brake wheel. Southern ordered their cars with Center-Of-Car cushioning, and we have duplicated this setup, with a complete COCC underframe and draft gear. (Notice how the couplers and draft gear “stick out” from the end of the car.) 70-Ton Trucks with 33” wheels and rotating “Timken” roller bearing caps finish off this replica. These Southern replicas are ready to haul auto parts on your layout in three numbers! SKU 25527

Want to build your own? Don’t worry. We also have two undecorated kits to handle both of the Greenville quad-door production variations. Each kit includes a specifically-matching Greenville body for that group! Here is our listing of the variations with their originally-delivered Greenville paint schemes:

– Undecorated Version H: 1969-1970 End-of-Car Cushioning kit (B&O, DRGW, DTS, GTW, IC, NW, PC, PPGX, RI) SKU 25500-01
– Undecorated Version I: 1970 Center-of-Car Cushioning kit (MP, SOU, SP) SKU 25501-01

We have been getting a lot of requests for additional GM Greenville 86’ Quad Door box cars, so we are very pleased to release these new paint schemes. Keep in mind that these were pooled boxcars which means you might consider buying cars in a variety of road names. These cars get around — For example: Prototype photos show B&O cars passing through Warm Springs, CA and Ontario Canada, a UP car on the TRRA St. Louis, MO Riverfront Wharf Street trackage, an N&W car in Kansas City, MO, a CN car in Texas, and DTS cars everywhere (Birmingham MI, Buffalo NY, Chicago IL, Erie PA, Toledo OH, Winchester IN… you get the idea)! We have photos to prove it all. And these are just a few snapshots. GM and Oldsmobile auto parts pools provide many interesting modeling opportunities for stampings and parts distribution.

The Tangent Greenville 86’ High Cube Quad Plug Door Box Car System is a state of the art, dimensionally-accurate scale replica that was tooled to Greenville Steel Car plans and verified with field measurements. Our model comes with highly accurate “true-to-life” colors and “hyper-accurate” lettering including exact stenciling, fonts, and lettering placement. Our Greenville 86’ system of models offers a multitude of detail variations and phases to replicate the many different Greenville Steel Car offerings. We make the best cars money can buy in HO scale. A quick synopsis of our era and railroad-specific detail variations include:

• Dimensional accuracy – designed from actual Greenville blueprints and verified with field measurements
• Highly correct “true to life” colors
• “Hyper-Accurate” lettering including exact fonts and lettering placement
• Body shells with overlapping side panels
• EOCC (end of car cushioning) or COCC (center of car cushioning) “near scale” draft gear variations
• Genuine Kadee® scale couplers
• Separate flexible rubber air hoses
• Under car brake system variations
• “See through” etched metal end crossover platforms in three possible options: Gypsum, Apex, or Morton
• Side tack board types/sizes and locations
• Twelve (!) prototypically-accurate brake stands (Ajax, 2 Universal versions, 2 Equipco versions, 2 Miner versions, Champion-Peacock, 2 Elcon-National versions, Peacock 850, Klasing 1150)
• Two possible handbrake “brake wheel” options
• Optional 3rd door arm hinge parts to be configured one of three ways
• 70-Ton Barber S-2 “Birdsboro foundry” or 100-Ton Barber S-2-C roller bearing truck options
• 33” or 36” wheels, as applicable to these 70T/100T models
• Truck brake beam part, accurate for these 1969-1970 built Greenville production cars
• Three “rotating” roller bearing truck cap options
• Recommended age 14 years and older

Finally, our Greenville 86’ High Cube Quad Plug Door Box Car models feature our 70-Ton Barber S-2 “Birdsboro foundry” Roller Bearing Truck. And yes, these trucks are available separately! The separate trucks feature a choice of 3 different “rotating” roller bearing caps and 3 different wheel options. Each truck also has the option of two separate brake beam parts, either for body-mounted brake systems (which are our standard offering), or for truck-mounted brake systems (available as a swap-in part). Our trucks and parts are available separately right now, and our RTR-cars come equipped with the correct configurations of trucks and parts!

With accurate roadname and era-specific details, genuine Kadee® scale couplers, and all-metal wheels, we provide you with a high-value model that will provide you with years of enjoyment and curb-appeal.

Please click on the images at right for pricing, SKUs, high resolution photos, prototype photos, car number options, and/or to order!