The HomeShops HFB-031-003 is an HO scale model of the Rapido PC&F 5258 50-foot double door box car, STRC Superior Transfer #3854. The picture might show a different road number. It's a limited - edition model painted for the freelance model railroad Texas and Great Northern, with road number variant TGN 520854. The Texas and Great Northern is part of Christopher Palmieri's freelance Meridian Speedway, serving timber - rich areas in Texas and the Deep South with a booming lumber and paper business. This box car is painted in the beautiful 'Tedder Green' used on the railroad's locomotives. Four numbers from the series TGN 520500 - TGN 520999 are available. These cars would ship paper and lumber products from Boise Southern in De Ridder, LA to destinations across North America. They feature sharp stenciling, De Ridder facility assignment, and reverse routing instructions via Silsbee, TX. Produced by PC&F between 1972 and 1975, these 50’ - 7” boxcars have a capacity of 5258 cu ft for standard cars or 5119 cu ft for DF - equipped ones. All B - 70 boxcars have Hydra - Cushion underframes and come with Youngstown or Superior doors. The PC&F 5258 is great for freelance model railroads handling paper products or general merchandise. The Rapido Trains HO scale T&GN PC&F 5258 boxcar has separately applied metal grab irons, scale - sized draft gear, full underbody brake rigging, multiple door styles, road number specific patches, separately applied coupler cut levers, Superior double sliding doors with three forklift grooves, separate door tracks, factory - installed Rapido semi - scale knuckle couplers, and newly tooled 70 - ton trucks with turned metal 33” wheels.
Using this HO scale box car is easy. Just place it on your model railroad track and couple it to other cars or locomotives. It's ready to be part of your train set right out of the box. When handling the car, be gentle with the separately applied parts like the metal grab irons and coupler cut levers to avoid breakage. To keep it looking great, you can use a soft, dry cloth to dust it off regularly. Avoid using any harsh chemicals or cleaners as they might damage the paint or the details. Store it in a cool, dry place when not in use to prevent any warping or damage to the body. If you want to display it for a long time, make sure it's placed in a stable position so it won't fall and get damaged.
