By the end of the 19th Century, the industrial revolution of the USA was in full swing: textile mills, food processing, medicine, transportation, and of course, steel. But, as the country progressed into the 20th Century, what were railroads to do with the abundant railcars left over from earlier times? The invention of the one-piece, cast side-frame Bettendorf truck with its integral journal boxes was a huge step forward. Truss rods were eliminated as heavier steel under-frames came into widespread use. And, by the 1930s, hand brakes would give way to modern air-brake systems.
Full Throttle brings a nifty new car style to the Z Scale hobby. We've taken the "old-timey" woodside reefers introduced by Father Nature and performed the same refurbishing that railroads applied, to extend the usefulness of these dated cars. We've (hypothetically) upgraded the truss rod frame with a steel frame, and replaced Archbar or Andrews trucks to newer Bettendorf types. These venerable and useful cars would be employed in freight or reefer/ice operation through WWII and into the early diesel era, especially on short lines and spurs. Here's a splendid small freight car for your Z Scale action!
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