MTH - RailKing Freight Cars - 40 ft. Double Door Box Car - O Scale 3 Rail

In the beginning, American railway equipment followed British practices. But the open gondola, which remained the basic British merchandise car for over a century, was not as well suited to American needs. Whereas Britain's mild climate and coke-burning engines made it possible to transport freight in open cars, covered with a tarp when necessary, American winters were harsher, distances traveled were greater, and wood-burning American engines threw off sparks that ignited unprotected goods.