Asheville, North Carolina: Tangent Scale Models is happy to announce our fifth all-new freight car for 2023, the SP Sacramento Shops Rebuilt 40-Foot Box Car With 10-Foot Doors. These “yellow stripe” box cars are distinctive looking due to their ten-foot door openings and 10’0” height! Today, we are releasing these unique prototype models with two primary detail variations, matching the more than 7,000 prototypes SP rebuilt between 1964 and 1972. These cars are a natural follow-up to our August 2023 release of the Pullman-Standard 40’ box cars with 7’ doors. This is not a pre-order announcement — the cars are available right now!
In the early 1960s, Southern Pacific faced a boxcar shortage from one of their most important customer constituencies: online lumber shippers. These shippers demanded a larger car supply plus improved cars with wider doors to ease the loading process using forklifts. In 1963, Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops embarked on an ambitious program to rebuild existing 40-foot boxcars with 7’ doors to cars with larger 10’” door openings. The program continued until 1970, and by the end of the program Sacramento Shops had amassed a fleet of more than 7000 rebuilt cars (Additionally, another 200 cars were rebuilt for copper bar service). These Sacramento rebuild cars were very distinctive due to the combination of a 10’0” height boxcar with a 10’ door, plus the 7” tall, angled reinforced sill that SP shop forces welded to the side of the car. Finally, a large yellow stripe was painted on the door, diagonally. These cars were affectionately called “Yellow Stripers,” where the yellow stripe denoted “lumber loading” and was introduced to help speed their return to SP lumber loading origins. No layout is complete without these unique SP box cars, including railroads far from SP lines.
Never-before produced in HO model form, the Tangent Scale Models “Yellow Stripers” come in two different assembly versions, and both lasted into the 1980s. The first version replicates the cars rebuilt during the 1963-1966 program, which includes original ends and running boards, and brake appliances and ladders mounted in their original 1950s location. The second version replicates the cars rebuilt after 1967, where the running board was removed and features lowered brake appliances, ladders and replacement “banana-tapered” dreadnaught ends. Our boxcars include “near-scale” draft sill with beautifully-rendered side “key” detail, plus correct ASF 50-ton ASF A-3 Ride Control trucks. Finally, our scale replicas operate as well as they look, equipped with free-rolling CNC-machined wheels and Kadee® scale couplers, meaning our models are truly ready-to-run.
Our October 2023 release includes these two paint schemes – and two undecorated options – available for purchase today!
– Southern Pacific (SP) Brown Repaint 1965+ replicates cars rebuilt by the SP’s Sacramento, CA shops between 1963 and 1966. This particular example was released in 1965, so it retained its roof running board and high ladders/brake appliances. The details on the car include a gorgeous 10’ Youngstown door, an Apex style running board and brake step, 8-rung side and end ladders, an accurate Equipco handbrake housing, and a beautiful Equipco brake wheel. Check out those stunning (and accurate!) 50-Ton ASF A-3 Ride Control trucks with separately applied brake beams. The cars were released in the classic Southern Pacific brown paint scheme with white graphics and a diagonal yellow stripe across the door. If you look closely, you will notice a mix of SP Roman-style capacity data and sans serif-style dimensional data, both accurate for this era. These cars have such a distinctive look, with the reinforced angled side sill. Oh, and did we mention the genuine Kadee® scale couplers and flexible rubber air hoses? This car is ready to haul and available in 12 different road numbers – Collect them all! SKU 23010
– Southern Pacific (SP) Brown Repaint 1968+ offers cars rebuilt by the SP’s Sacramento, CA shops between 1967 and 1970. This particular prototype example was released by the SP in 1968, so the model features lowered brake appliances along with removal of the original roof-top running board. Notice the replacement “dreadnaught” ends and additional vertical rows of rivets on the sides of the body near each end. Yes, we have tooled a completely different body shell (from the 1963-66 version) to handle this important distinction. On top, the diagonal panel roof retains the old running board brackets that were left over when the SP rebuilt the car and removed the original running board. On the car side, the bottom corner door areas feature updated weldment detail and the separate door track along that huge 10’ door has additional bolt detail. Underneath, the brake details also differ for the era. The underframe linkage has an automatic slack adjuster and a lowered retainer valve housing and piping along the one side. These SP cars are painted and lettered in beautiful SP brown with white graphics and the distinctive yellow door stripes. With Tangent 50-Ton ASF A-3 Ride Control trucks, genuine Kadee® scale couplers and flexible rubber air hoses, these SP box cars are ready to go to work on your layout. Available in 12 different road numbers. SKU 23060
– SP Brown RTR Unlettered 1965+ offers a “canvas” for modelers to use decals and weathering to build their own one-of-a-kind models! The model is completely assembled and painted SP brown (including that difficult yellow door stripe!), but unlettered. The details on the car feature the earlier 1963-1966 body with an Apex-style running board and brake step, 8-rung side and end ladders, an accurate Equipco handbrake housing and brake wheel, Tangent 50-Ton ASF A-3 Ride Control trucks, genuine Kadee® scale couplers and flexible rubber air hoses. We offer these cars in partnership with ICG Decals, who provide SP-appropriate yellow-striper decal sets custom-made for these cars. SKU 23005
– SP Brown RTR Unlettered 1968+ offers a “canvas” for modelers to use decals and weathering to build their own one-of-a-kind models! The model is completely assembled and painted SP brown (including that difficult yellow door stripe!), but unlettered. This model has the later 1966-1970 body with replacement “Dreadnaught” ends and additional vertical rivet strips. The model features lowered ladders, a Universal brake housing with Ajax brake wheel, Tangent 50-Ton ASF A-3 Ride Control trucks, genuine Kadee® scale couplers and flexible rubber air hoses. We offer these cars in partnership with ICG Decals, who provide SP-appropriate yellow-striper decal sets custom-made for these cars. SKU 23055
– Undecorated KIT SP Rebuild 1965+ Body gives the kit builders a little bit of love. We get it — sometimes you just want to build your own model, paint a scheme we have yet to offer, or weather your car prior to decaling to preserve the stenciling. This unpainted kit includes the 1963-1966 body with a Morton running board, along with ladder and power brake/brake wheel options. The kit includes our beautiful ASF 50-ton ride control trucks. You supply your own favorite couplers. SKU 23000
– Undecorated KIT SP Rebuild 1968+ Body gives the kit builders a little bit of love. We get it — sometimes you just want to build your own model, paint a scheme we have yet to offer, or weather your car prior to decaling to preserve the stenciling. This unpainted kit includes the 1967-1970 body with roof-top running board brackets, along with power brake/brake wheel options. The kit includes our beautiful ASF 50-ton ride control trucks. You supply your own favorite couplers. SKU 23050
All of these models – and prototype images – can be seen at www.tangentscalemodels.com !
The Tangent Pullman-Standard SP Lines “Postwar” 40’6” Box Car is a state of the art, dimensionally-accurate scale replica that was tooled to Pullman-Standard 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 Pullman-Standard SP Lines 40’6” models offer a multitude of detail variations to replicate the 1950-1953 “Postwar” Pullman-Standard 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 Pullman-Standard blueprints and verified with field measurements
• Highly correct “true to life” colors
• “Hyper-Accurate” lettering including exact fonts and lettering placement
• Extremely realistic “bracket grab irons” and ladder assemblies
• 7 or 8 rung side and end ladders
• Beautiful diagonal panel roofs
• “See through” running boards and crossover platforms (in both Apex and Morton combinations)
• “Near scale” draft gear
• Genuine Kadee® scale couplers
• Separate flexible rubber air hoses
• Side tack board types/sizes and locations
• Two different accurate stand-off door track options
• Eleven prototypically-accurate brake stands (Ajax High/Low, Universal High/Low, 2 Equipco High versions, Equipco Low, Miner High/Low, National/Peacock High/Low)
• Six possible handbrake “brake wheel” options (Ajax, Universal, Equipco, Miner, Peacock, Modern) National/Peacock)
• New ASF 50-ton A-3 Ride Control trucks
• 33” wheels, with front and back detail and accurate tapered axles
• Separate truck brake beam parts
• Recommended age 14 years and older
Don’t miss out on the Tangent Scale Models SP Sacramento Shops Rebuilt 40-Foot Box Car With 10-Foot Doors – one of the most-prolific car types on North American rails! With accurate roadname and era-specific details, genuine Kadee® couplers, and all-metal wheels, we provide you with a high-value model that will provide you with years of enjoyment and curb-appeal. These are 40-foot box cars tooled in the current era and they look spectacular. Pricing for all RTR models in this release is $54.95, with quantity discounts for direct purchases from Tangent Scale Models.