Seaboard Air Line 19000-19499 Series, Class B-7, 40', Single-Door, "Turtleback" Box Car Model Project

Announcing... A Forthcoming HO Scale and S Scale Model !!!

Seaboard Air Line's 19000-19499 Series, Class B-7
40', Single-Door, "Turtleback" Box Car

In 1941, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad acquired a fleet of 500 40' long, single-door box cars that had an interior height of 10' 0". This height required that the roof edges of these cars be rounded due (apparently) to some tight clearances on some of the Seaboard's rail lines. These cars were classified as B-7s and numbered from 19000 to 19499. Although they resembled the Pennsylvania Railroad's class X-31 box cars, the similarities were only superficial, as these cars were basically 1932 cars with rounded roofs andPullman's 'Dart-Not' ends. The rounded roof edges was the only similarity these cars shared with the PRR cars, but even the rounded radius was not identical.

Records show that as many as 357 of these cars lasted into (and beyond) the Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) years (1967-1981) wearing road-numbers 819000-819499. What service they performed during these years is unclear, but they were still listed in full on the roster as late as 1972, therefore very possibly still in some sort of revenue service. A small handful of them lasted even longer... at least as late as 1988 in MOW service such as the one in the four following photos.

(Photographer unknown)

(Pieter Roos - 1988 Photo)

TECHNICAL DATA
BUILDER	Pullman-Standard
BUILD DATE	May 1941
INTERIOR LENGTH	40' 6"
INTERIOR WIDTH	9' 2"
INTERIOR HEIGHT	10' 0"
LENGTH COUPLED	44' 5"
FRAME	AAR standard (Straight centerbeams)
SIDE FRAMING	AAR standard
SIDE PANELS	Steel, riveted sides; 5 panels to left of door, 5 panels to right of door
DOORS	Youngstown 5-5-5 corrugated; 6' 0" wide, 10' 0" high
ENDS	Pullman corrugated 4/5 w/o darts (Dartnot)
RINNING BOARDS	Apex on 19000-19299, Blaw-Knox on 19300-19499
BRAKE STEP	Apex on 19000-19299, Blaw-Knox on 19300-19499
BRAKE SYSTEM	A-B
BRAKE WHEEL	Ajax
TRUCKS	ASF AAR Spring Plank
WHEELS	Chilled 33"
PAINT	Dupont Tufcote Metallic Brown on sides, ends, roof, under frame and trucks

These cars wore at least three different paint schemes throughout their years.
Decals for the verifiable schemes will be availible for these kits.

PAINT SCHEMES
This table lists all of the known paint schemes that the B-7s wore. The three schemes below in gray text have not been verified as having even been applied to this car. No known photos exist to prove application.
D E S C R I P T I O N	D A T E S U S E D	C O M M E N T S
Route of the Robert E. Lee	1941-?	Rumored to be the DELIVERY scheme
Route of the Orange Blossom Special	1937-1954	-
Route of the Silver Meteor	19??-1963	-
The Route of Courteous Service	1944-1963	-
Seaboard (Railroad Roman (Gothic) Lettering)	?	Second to last scheme applied
Seaboard (Block Lettering)	?	Last scheme applied
Decals will be provided with this kit to model any of the above schemes

MORE PHOTOS :

Note the smaller "RAILWAY" herald on the two cars below. This name was used from 1900 to 1946.

Note the larger "RAILROAD" herald on the cars below. This name was used from 1946 to 1967.

Car # 19143 below has a rare, smaller "RAILROAD" herald.

You may not model the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, but they would make for great stand-ins for similar cars owned by other roads. Additionally, these cars roamed all over the United States, so it would be easy to justify the presence of one of these cars on just about anyone's layout. As proof of that, near the bottom-left corner of the photo below of the Boston and Albany's Beacon Park Yard sits one of these cars in June of 1946!

( Photo reference : Steam Era Freight Cars Web Site : Shot Of The Month - February 2002 Page )

ORDERING INFORMATION :

The model of this car is being offered by Smoky Mountain Model Works.

The HO Scale model will be offered under standard under SMMW's standard reservation policy.

HOWEVER...

The S SCALE model is being offered for a LIMITED TIME, and
reservations are only being taken until

JUNE 13th, 2011.

Please contact SMMW immediately if you are interested in the S scale model!!!

Smoky Mountain Model Works, Inc.
35 Springwood Drive
Asheville, NC 28805
Ph.: (828) 777-5619 (9-5:30 EST)
Email : jimking3@charter.net

KIT PRICING INFORMATION

HO Scale Model

Kit price will be $45 WITH trucks, couplers and decals. Shipping is $7 for 1-3 kits, and $10 for 4 or more kits.

S Scale Model

Kit price will be $80 WITHOUT trucks or couplers, but WITH decals. Shipping is $10 for 1-2 kits, and $15 for 3-4 kits for customers east of the Mississippi. Call for out-of-area shipping rates.

CLICK HERE to download a printable and re-distributable PDF version of this Flyer!