Description
Railroads have used 24-foot cars to transport iron ore since the late 1800s. By the early 1900s, steel cars replaced wood, offering higher payloads but keeping the same short design due to heavy ore loads and fixed-length ore pockets at docks. In the 1960s, the introduction of Taconite, a lighter pelletized ore, allowed for larger volumes, prompting cars to be fitted with side extensions. Our model is based on the 1948 U25 Class car built for the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range, with 500 cars produced in this group, and thousands more were built by other manufacturers following a similar design.
Prototype Specific ScaleTrains
- Era Early 50s – 80’s
- Multiple road numbers
- Fully assembled
- Bodies with no extensions, or medium side extensions
- Draw barred 4 car sets where appropriate
- Finely cast stirrup steps; end details; underbody and brake system
- Wire grab irons
- Separately applied handbrake wheel
- Detailed trucks
- 33” Machined metal wheels
- Accurately profiled .110" wide wheel tread
- Durable body-mounted die-cast metal semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers, Kadee compatible painted a dingy gray/brown color to represent the color of couplers in service
- Kadee compatible
- Body mounted coupler box will accept Kadee whisker couplers
- Weighted to Industry standards
- Operates on Code 70, 83 and 100 rail
- Packaging safely stores model when assembled
- Minimum radius 18” with short (four axle) locos, 22” with long (six axle) locos
Railroads have been using cars to transport iron ore since the late 1800s. Initially, these cars were made of wood and measured about 24 feet in length to accommodate the heavy, dense loads of iron ore. In the early 1900s, steel cars began to replace the wooden ones. These stronger cars could carry larger payloads, yet they still retained the short, characteristic design of ore "jennies." This was partly because the iron ore loads remained extremely heavy, leading to larger cars capable of handling 50-ton, and later 70-ton, capacities. Additionally, many of the large ore docks in use at the time had fixed-length ore pockets that were designed to align with the 24-foot cars, further reinforcing the continued use of shorter car designs.
Starting in the 1960s, a new form of ore called Taconite was developed. This processed the raw ore into small pellets, creating a less dense load. Because of this, the standard ore car could handle a large volume. Side extensions were added to many cars to handle the larger (now lighter) loads.
Our Fox Valley Models™ HO Scale car is based on the Pressed Steel Car Company U25 Class, built for the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range in 1948. A series of 500 were built in this group, with several other classes following, plus thousands of similar cars manufactured by other builders.
