MTH 20-94729 - Steel Sided Stock Car "Santa Fe"

• Road Name: Santa Fe
• Road Number:  27053, 27061
• Product Line: Premier
• Scale: O Scale

Features:

• Intricately Detailed, Durable ABS Body
• Colorful, Attractive Paint Scheme
• Stamped Metal Floors
• Metal Wheels and Axles
• Die-Cast 4-Wheel Trucks
• Fast-Angle Wheel Sets
• Needle-Point Axles
• (2) Operating Die-Cast Metal Couplers
• Detailed Brake Wheel
• Separate Metal Handrails
• Sliding Car Doors
• 1:48 Scale Dimensions
• Unit Measures: 11 5/8” x 2 11/16” x 3 13/16”
• Operates On O-31 Curves

Overview:

Railroad stock cars have played a vital role in the development of the United States and other countries around the world. They have transported livestock from farms to markets, helping to feed a growing population. They have also played a role in the expansion of the West, allowing ranchers to move their herds to new grazing lands.

The first stock cars were simply modified boxcars with slatted sides and ends. These early cars were uncomfortable and dangerous for the animals, and they often led to injuries and deaths. In the 1870s, Zadok Street patented a new design for a stock car that featured water troughs and food troughs, as well as a system for ventilation. Street's design was a major improvement over previous stock cars, and it helped to reduce the suffering of livestock during transport.

Over the next few decades, stock cars continued to evolve. They became larger and more comfortable, and they were equipped with features such as adjustable partitions and movable decks. This helped to reduce overcrowding and improve the safety of the animals.

Stock cars reached their peak of importance in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this time, the railroads were the primary means of transporting livestock to market. In 1907, American railroads transported over 400 million livestock animals before declining in the mid-20th century as truck transportation became more common.

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.