This is a limited edition Rapido Trains PC&F 5258 50-foot double door box car painted for the freelance model railroad Wyoming Valley and Western. The picture might show a different road number. The Wyoming Valley & Western, a northeastern regional freelance railroad created by Sam Meehan, started as a short line in 1992 in the Wilkes-Barre, PA area and became a major competitor after getting former D&H and PRR trackage. Sam runs the WV&W from the Hudson Model Railroad Club in Hudson, PA. The B-70-69 boxcars were bought second-hand during the WV&W's expansion in the late 90s. These former SP and Cotton Belt cars were patched up for a few years before getting painted in the mid-2000s. In the 70s, as there was a growing demand for larger capacity boxcars to replace old 40-foot ones, PC&F produced this series of 50-foot double door boxes from 1972 to 1975. These boxcars are 50 feet 7 inches long, with a capacity of 5258 cubic feet for standard cars or 5119 cubic feet for those for DF (Damage Free) Loading. All B-70 boxcars have Hydra-Cushion underframes and came with either Youngstown or Superior doors. The PC&F 5258 is great for freelance use! Many freelance model railroads deal with paper products, and this car type could also haul a wide range of general merchandise. The Rapido Trains HO scale WV&W PC&F 5258 boxcar has features like separately applied metal grab irons, scale-sized draft gear with a detailed Hydra-Cushion underframe, full underbody brake rigging, multiple door styles for each fleet, road number specific number patches, separately applied coupler cut levers, Youngstown double sliding doors, separate door tracks, factory-installed Rapido semi-scale knuckle couplers, and newly tooled 70 ton trucks with turned metal 33-inch wheels.
Using this HO scale box car is easy. Just place it on your model railroad tracks and start running your trains. It fits well with other HO scale train sets and can be part of your freight train. When handling it, be gentle to avoid damaging the separately applied parts like the grab irons and coupler cut levers. To keep it in good condition, clean it regularly with a soft, dry cloth. You can also use a small brush to clean hard - to - reach areas like the underbody brake rigging. Store it in a cool, dry place when not in use to prevent any rust or damage to the metal parts. And if you notice any loose parts, you can use a small amount of glue to fix them back in place, but make sure to do it carefully so as not to damage the rest of the car.
