The 40’ steel box car so familiar to model railroaders was a product of the 1930s. Wood box cars, which were built into the World War I era, and early steel cars were largely non-standardized, with details varying from railroad to railroad. The move toward standardization began with American Railway Association (ARA) designs of 1923 and 1932. It culminated in the 1937 AAR box car, the prototype for this Premier model, which was adopted by railroads from coast to coast and built in the tens of thousands. (The AAR (American Association of Railroads) was and still is the successor to the ARA.)

While the original paint schemes were usually drab variations on standard box car red, new schemes in the 1950s and later brought color back to the American freight train. Our models replicate many of the most fondly remembered paint schemes seen on these cars.

MTH Premier O Scale freight cars are the perfect complement to any manufacturer’s scale proportioned O Gauge locomotives. Whether you prefer to purchase cars separately or assemble a unit train, MTH Premier Rolling Stock has the cars for you in a variety of car types and paint schemes.

Virtually every sturdy car is offered in two car numbers which makes it even easier than ever to combine them into a mult-car consist. Many of MTH’s Premier Rolling Stock offerings can also operate on the tightest O Gauge curves giving them even more added versatitlity to your layout.