Could someone give me a time frame for hi-cube boxcars? Like when they
first appeared through their dimise. Or are they still used? Thanks, Dave
early 1960’s, still in use.
Thanks Nigel.
I picked up five Athearn hi-cubes at a show. But since I’m modeling 40’s and early 50’s,
I guess they will have to find a new home. Dave
This site as a picture of a CB&Q 40’ hi-cube taken in 1968 The “NEW” date on the car appears to be ?-67
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/rolling3.html
These links have info about some specific 40’ hi cubes.
The link below is to Northern Pacific car diagrams. It has a 40’ hi-cube built by Pullman Standard in '67
http://research.nprha.org/NP%20Box%20Cars/Forms/AllItems.aspx
Weren’t 'Hi-Cubes primarily a 'Western phenom.?
Gunderson still makes a High-Cube boxcar. They make some other High-Capacity etc, cars but I only see one listed as “high-cube” in my 2001-02 Car and Locomotive Yearbook. I’m not sure what makes it different from regular high capacity cars.
The picture is of a CSX “Big Blue” car. I have a picture of one of these laying around if anybody is interested.
Here are Gunderson’s pages. The links from the main menu to each type of freight car don’t work.
http://www.gbrx.com/products/products_amecars.asp
http://www.gbrx.com/products/amefreight_cars/bc_forest.html
http://www.gbrx.com/products/amefreight_cars/bc_auto.html
http://www.gbrx.com/products/amefreight_cars/bc_paper.html
Trinity Industries/Trinity Rail Group (TRG)
http://www.trinityrailcar.com/products/index.html
Johnstown America I think that its boxcar section has said “Coming Soon” for about a year now. I wonder what they consider soon to be? They must be having some type of problem starting their boxcar line.
http://www.johnstownamerica.com/products/index.htm
http://www.johnstownamerica.com/products/fcp_productline.htm
National Steel Car Company
http://www.steelcar.com/products.html
Trailer Train (fromer Trailer Train’s Railbox division) has bought a few thousand high-cube boxcars in the past couple of years.
60’ Double Plug Door
TBOX 665000-666xxx, XNH60, National Steel Car
TBOX 660000-660xxx, XGH60, Gunderson
TBOX 670000-671xxx, XRH60, Trinity Rail Group
50’ Single Plug Door
FBOX 502000-502xxx, XNH50, NSC
FBOX 504x00-504xxx, XGH52, Gunderson
http://www.ttx.com/equip/guide.asp
http://www.ttx.com/ttxdb/searchcar.asp
Athearn makes a model of a 40’ high-cube boxcar (appliance service). Athearn Genesis makes models a 3 or 4 types of 60’ high-cube boxcars. Walthers makes a model of Gunderson’s 50’ HC boxcar. LBF (http://www.lbfcompany.com/main-ho-scale.htm) makes models of NSC’s and Gunderson’s new HC boxcars, as well as models of older HC boxcars. A word of warning, Athearn products can be out of production of several years at a time. The Genesis line is too new to know if it will be the same.
That is probably correct. I know they can’t use Superliner passenger cars on some routes in the east because tunnels lack adequate clearance. I would guess that the same goes for the Hi-cubes.
Tell me if I’m wrong but did the name hi-cube originate because the first hi-cube box cars where 40’ and with the excess height they would look more like a cube. And on the same topic does any railroads still use 40’ hi-cubes?
Andrew
Actually, as clearances became higher, the cars became higher - not only for box cars but auto racks as well. Due to the light weight nature of the contents carried in hi cubes, they could be built much longer than conventional box cars. A dozen racks of automobile fenders weigh a lot less than a pallet of bricks and takes up considerably more room. So the 86’ Hi Cube was born.
As for them being a western phenomenon, that is a farce. They run up and down the east coast as well as the Alleghenies. There is a GM plant here in Baltimore that sees dozens of Hi Cubes every day. If you are lucky (unlucky) enough to be stuck in traffic around 7:30am – 8:00am on Eastbound I-70 outside of Baltimore on the bridge that crosses the Old Main Line and the Potomac River. Occasionally the morning westbound will have 86’ hi cubes and auto racks in it. Since I drive a truck, I can easily peer down over the edge of the bridge and see the train traverse the sharp curves in the valley. You would swear you were looking at an HO scale models on 30” radius curves. Amazing!
The question about the 40 footers…this has been one of the great secrets to me. I inquired to MR a few years back about the 40’ Hi Cubes and Jim Hediger explained to me that some manufacturers/warehouses liked the extra room of the hi cubes for the refrigerators/washers/dryers/dishwashers/etc they manufactured (since they were light compared to volume) but the warehouses still had doors that were spaced for 40’ box cars. So the 40’ hi cube was built to accommodate those shippers. I have seen a couple of photographs of 40’ hi cubes but I have never seen one in person. Jim also said the 40’ hi cubes would make a good article for MR but that was at least 5 years ago and I have seen nor heard anything else…
PS In reference to george745’s question on the origin of hi cube, I understand that is was because the car’s high cubic volume compared to ‘regular’ box cars of the early to mid 60’s.
BC
I’ve been trying to find a few Athearn 40’ hi cubes for my new industry on my layout, but they’re offly hard to find cheap enought for my teenage budget, and sometimes too hard to find in general. I alway’s like the hi cube cars, there really rather neat. I didn’t know much about them, thanks for all the links and stuff guys.
Noah
I have a couple of the Athearn 40’ HiCubes on my railroad. In the 80s, I heard them referred to as ‘Ugly Ducklings’ because they look so out of balance next to regular 40, 50 and 60’ boxcars. 
PS - I picked mine up new at an NMRA Meet and Train Show from someone selling off an Estate. Do we ALL buy more goodies than we can ever use??