I have several "Life-Like Railbox" box cars. While they are old and cheap, the paint and graphics are good, and with new trucks/couplers they look and work fine on track. But are the silver double doors painted correctly or should they be black? I Googled "Railbox" and found no images of real RB box cars with silver doors. Anyone have definitive information? Thanks. Lowell.
There have been a lot of RBOX variants over the years, but in looking at my photos, all have black doors. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a double-door RBOX car, though they may well be out there. I took this photo of RBOX 10367 in late '74 or early '75. It's shiny fresh from the carbuilder (ACF?). This was the first RBOX series, the 10000 series. Frustrated with weird looking offerings and high prices, I painted an N Scale Roundouse car in RBOX years ago. RBOX's remind me of when I was young and I still think they're great looking cars.
I questioned the double doors too, but that is not something I can change. Painting doors black, can do. Info I found said Railbox started in 1974, so your pic must be of one of the very first. They are sharp looking cars. Lowell.
Ours, (PC&F), all went out black. I do not recall any, as built, with other than black doors. Company color scheme.
They had double doors for some. Picture of a new double plug door. 8210511630_c81f433ea1_n by John Moore posted Jul 3, 2019 at 12:05 PM Haven't found any yet with silver doors.
I worked on a lot of RBOX cars and UP cars that was RBOX cars. All the doors are black. If I rehung a new door it was box car red. Don
Thanks everyone. I now know that double door Railbox did exist, but it looks like I have a bunch of doors to paint black. Lowell.
Unfortunately that is something I do not have the ability to modify. Paint I can do but not altering the structure of a molded body.
Interesting! Seems like over the last 45 years they used quite a mix of cars. I'll have to take a closer look at today's cars when they are in the UP yard here.
I'm saddened when I see these once beautiful cars reduced to rolling eyesores, but after 45 years in service, I should expect nothing more. I took this in Dillon, SC on 11/11/2013.
I pass the UP yard here at home often, and you can't even tell what some cars originally were. We're on the mainline from the Twin Cities thru Des Moines, KC and south. Absolutely amazing the crap people paint on railcars. Laws against vandalism - and penalties - need to be increased.
I learned, at a very young age to respect other people's property. I think this proves the adage "spare the rod spoil the child"!! Jim
This thread made me realize I have over 1,000 freight cars, but not 1 RBOX !!! What is wrong with me ??? I do have 3 Rail Gons. Would they happen to be owned by the same entity ???
Just yesterday I was weathering a set of three RBOX cars. One is faded pretty hard. The second looks like Hardcoaler's pic above but without graffiti. Not sure how to finish the third car yet. There is NO graffiti in the mythical Bonita River Valley. It just didn't occur.
Yes, Railbox, ABOX, FBOX, RBOX, TBOX and Railgon are all part of Trailer Train Corporation or as it's now known TTX. I always liked the Railbox "Next Load Any Road" scheme, though it was very catchy and a snappy paint scheme. I also like the looks of the Railgon paint scheme and I own several examples of both types of rolling stock. I agree with the other posts, I've never seen a Railbox or any of the other of the variants with silver doors. As for graffiti, don't get me started it's destruction of personal property, period. Some try to say the railroads don't care, when the real truth of the matter is the railroad would go bankrupt trying to repaint the 1,471,736 freight cars that are currently in service after someone defaced them. So what often happens is someone in the car department will insure all the important information remains on the car and is legible.
You tell them Run8... You tell them. You won't find much in the way of graffiti on my N Scale freight cars. I keep the paint cans locked up and the chalk in a drawer. Security is tight around these here parts.