Eastern Seaboard Models - 002001 - Boxcar, 50 Foot, X65 - Eastern Seaboard Models - 2017A

Model Information: ESM Announced this tooling in early 2017 for a target release date of December 2017.

Prototype History: The X65 boxcar is one of the most recognizable exterior post boxcars of the late 1960's, built at the Penn Central Despatch Shops in East Rochester, NY. By this time, the vast majority of the Lehigh Valley was owned by PC and PRR before it, and using the company's own shops ensured some level of cost savings and higher quality. There were two series of cars built within a year or so of each other: The insulated series was numbered in the 7000's, and the 8000 series became class BL55E and X65 respectively under Conrail. This latter car design was also used by the Penn Central.

These 50' exterior-post boxcars were built from 1966 through 1969 by Despatch Shops Incorporated, a subsidiary of first the New York Central and then Penn Central. A number of cars also were built for the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie as well as the Lehigh Valley. Conrail inherited the New York Central, Penn Central and Lehigh Valley rosters in 1976. The cars remained active into the 1990s.

Brand/Importer Information: Eastern Seaboard Models was founded in 1987. They are a manufacturer of N scale reproductions of North American eastern railroad prototypes. The have both decorated other manufacturers' models as well as designed body styles of their own. They are located at PO Box 301, Waldwick, New Jersey 07463-0301 U.S.A.

Their 2016 lineup includes ready-to-run gondolas, well cars, hoppers, tank cars and boxcars. They also produce craftsman quality kits in their "Made in America" series. ESM products may be purchased directly from their website.