InterMountain - 65763-04 - Boxcar, 40 Foot, AAR 1937 - Lake Superior & Ishpeming - 2218

Specific Item Information: Prototype manufactured in 1940.

Prototype History: The Association of American Railroads had been establishing design standards for freight cars since the early part of the century. Each new design standard meant higher capacity, lighter, more durable cars.

The Modified 1937 AAR boxcar design was a result of the industries continued search for more freight volume per carload. The real first attempt at a standardized design had been the 1932 ARA steel boxcar with an inside height of 9'-4" . In 1936 the board of the AAR approved the 1937 AAR design with a 10'-0" inside height. This became a standard throughout the industry.

Road Name History: The LS&I opened in 1896 to move iron ore from pits west of Ishpeming to the Lake Superior port at Marquette, all in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In 1927, they bought an adjoining railroad which extended the LS&I east from Marquette to Munising. In 1979, they abandoned their own route between Marquette and Munising Junction, relying on trackage rights on a parallel Soo Line route instead. This left about 60 miles of line in their possession.

LS&I’s steam fleet was dominated by 2-8-0’s, many of which have been saved. Grand Canyon Railway, Western Maryland Scenic, and Ohio Central have all operated former LS&I consolidations. The diesel fleet was originally dominated by Alcos with GE U-Boats filling the gaps. Today, GE AC4400CW’s leased from CIT do the heavy pulling with U-Boats (in patched BN green paint) handling the yards and locals.

In addition to the iron traffic, like the other railroads in the area, LS&I also hauls various forest products. The railroad has always been owned by Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company and its successors.

Brand/Importer Information: InterMountain was founded in 1985 by Fred Brummet. They got started in the model railroad business by producing O-Scale model kits. They got started in the N Scale business almost a decade later when in 1994 they introduced the 40-23 reefer car in kit form. Later, in 1998, they started producing RTR (Ready-to-Run) models. By the early 2000s, InterMountain phased out kit production in favor of the RTR models.

The InterMountain Railway company is located at 1224 Boston Ave in Longmont, CO. They are a manufacturer of HO, N and Z scale model trains. They have produced kits as well as RTR (Ready-To-Run) models. Their N Scale products include locomotives as well as rolling stock. Their rolling stock lineup includes Boxcars, Hoppers, Tank Cars, Reefers, Gondolas, Stock Cars and Flatcars.

Their locomotive releases have primarily been diesel units, with the one major exception being their series of AC-12 Cab Forward steam locos. Their diesel lineup includes F3's, F7's, F9's, SD40's, SD45's and FT units. They are known for quality and detail. They also release their rolling stock in larger varieties of road numbers than most of the other manufacturers.