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Roundhouse - 87501 - Boxcar, 36 Foot, Wood Truss - Hercules Powder - 545

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N Scale - Roundhouse - 87501 - Boxcar, 36 Foot, Wood Truss - Hercules Powder - 545
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Stock Number87501
BrandRoundhouse
ManufacturerMDC Roundhouse
Body StyleMDC Boxcar 36 Foot Wood Truss Rod
Prototype VehicleBoxcar, 36 Foot, Wood Truss (Details)
Road or Company NameHercules Powder (Details)
Reporting MarksHPCX
Road or Reporting Number545
Paint Color(s)Boxcar Red
Print Color(s)Yellow
Coupler TypeRapido Hook
Wheel TypeInjection Molded Plastic
Wheel ProfileSmall Flange (Low Profile)
Ready-to-RunNo
Kit ComplexityEasy-Build
Kit Material(s)Brass and Injection Molded Plastic
Release Date1998-01-01
Item CategoryRolling Stock (Freight)
Model TypeBoxcar
Model Subtype36 Foot
Model VarietyWood Truss Rod Underframe
Prototype RegionNorth America
Prototype EraNA Era II: Late Steam (1901 - 1938)
Scale1/160



Model Information: This MDC tooling models a pre-1900 boxcar with a truss-rod underframe. The MDC Truss-Rod underframe 36' Reefer and 36' Boxcar are very similar models. They were introduced in 1997 for the former and 1998 for the latter. The easiest way to tell the difference is that the reefers have plug doors and the boxcars have sliding doors. Like all of MDC N-Scale molds, this one was also acquired by Athearn in 2004 when they acquired MDC. The MDC releases were supplied in both 'kit' and RTR (Ready-To-Run) versions.

The Athearn (post 2004) releases come fully assembled and feature:
  • Fully assembled and ready to operate
  • Separately applied brake wheel and roof walk
  • Molded truss rods with turnbuckles
  • Molded plastic underframe with brake cylinder
  • Screw mounted trucks for accurate tracking
  • Truck mounted magnetically operated knuckle couplers
  • Plastic wheels.
Prototype History:
Boxcars in the early 20th century frequently featured a "Truss-Rod" design. The purpose of truss rods was to prevent the railcars from sagging in the middle by the use of turnbuckles in the center of the truss rods for tightening. Due to the limitations of the materials available at the time, there was a tendency for the railcars body to sag in the middle, between the trucks. Truss rods were designed to prevent this. They have the same purpose as I beams or channel beams do in more modern equipment; or, the unitized body of automobiles do today. They give strength in the direction needed to support the load placed on the car.
Road Name History:
Hercules, Inc., was a chemical and munitions manufacturing company based in Wilmington, Delaware, which was formed as the Hercules Powder Company. Hercules Powder Company was formed in 1882 by DuPont and Laflin & Rand Powder Company to finance construction of a dynamite plant on land adjacent to San Francisco Bay owned by DuPont subsidiary California Powder Works.] This created the company town of Hercules, California. Hercules Inc. was a manufacturer of chemicals and munitions based in Wilmington, Delaware. The company was established in 1912 by T.W. Bacchus as the Hercules Powder Company. The Hercules Powder Company was one of the companies created from the break up of the E.I. du Pont de Nemours "powder trust" in 1911 as ruled by a U.S. Supreme Court decision. In its early years as a separate company, it continued to produce explosives and dynamite." Hercules was spun off from DuPont as a result of U.S. federal government actions in the field of antitrusts. Hercules, Inc., operated under this name until 2008, when it was merged into Ashland Inc.

Hercules, Inc., was one of the major producers of smokeless powder for warfare in the United States during the 20th century. At the time of its spin-off, the DuPont Corp. retained the processes and patents for the production of "single-base" nitrocellulose gunpowders, whereas Hercules, Inc., was given the patents and processes for the production of "double-base" gunpowders that combined nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine.

From Wikipedia
Brand/Importer Information:
MDC Roundhouse was founded in California in 1938 and relocated in 1993 to Carson City, Nevada due to statewide restrictions on painting. MDC Roundhouse was a producer of both RTR (Ready-to-Run) and kit versions of N Scale rolling stock as well as RTR locomotives. They entered the N scale market in 1979 with a Thrall Hi-Side Gondola and a Hi-Cube Single Door Box Car. MDC Roundhouse was purchased by Horizon Hobbies in June of 2004, when its owner since 1938 C. H. Menteer retired, and merged into their Athearn line.

Unlike many of their contemporaries which contracted with European firms to produce their products, MDC made their own toolings. They made several popular body styles and produced them for road names that many other vendors (even Micro-Trains) wouldn't touch. This made them popular with modelers. Also, their un-assembled "kits" permitted a lower price point so they were popular with "runners" as well as "modelers".

Of particular interest was the attention given to modern 50 foot steel boxcars. They made some attempt to accurately mold the differences into distinct models to represent each of the major prototype manufacturers products. They have distinct toolings not only for the different products from FMC, BFF and PS, but also multiple models for each of these manufacturers including "standard" vs "Youngstown" doors and "waffle" vs. "rib" sides. In total they produced 13 different versions of the 50 foot steel boxcar.
Item created by: gdm on 2017-09-14 12:03:35. Last edited by CNW400 on 2020-09-26 10:49:29

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