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

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 their industry-leading Greenville Double Plug Door box car models. Tangent Scale Models 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. Tangent Scale Models 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, Tangent Scale Models 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, Tangent Scale Models recommend curves of 24” or larger for these models.

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. Tangent Scale Models model comes with highly accurate “true-to-life” colors and “hyper-accurate” lettering including exact stenciling, fonts, and lettering placement. Tangent Scale Models Greenville 86’ system of models offers a multitude of detail variations and phases to replicate the many different Greenville Steel Car offerings. Tangent Scale Models make the best cars money can buy in HO scale.

A quick synopsis of Tangent Scale Models 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

– Southern (SOU) “Delivery 2-1970 Brown” is one of those schemes Tangent Scale Models get asked for a lot. Tangent Scale Models have heard the requests from the Southern fans for more cars, and they 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 Tangent Scale Models 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.

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