Collection: HO Rapido 1937 40' AAR Boxcar Pre-Orders (2026 Run)

The 1937 AAR standard boxcar was one of the most widely produced freight cars ever. From the start of production in 1936 nearly 94,000 cars were built for 64 railroads to variations of this design. Through various secondhand owners, rebuilds and upgrades they continued in service well into the 1980s.

At the core of the 1937 AAR boxcar was a body that was 40’-6” long and 10’-0” high inside. Over the years the design of the ends changed. Ends commonly used on early cars used a “Z”-shaped inside corner post, covered by an end with squared off corners. Later cars featured a “W”-shaped inside corner post which externally was covered by an end with rounded corners. Additional types of ends were also employed, most notably by Canadian railroads. In fact, CN and CP accounted for more than 28,000 of these cars!

Roofs also varied from group to group, with the Murphy raised panel roof being the most common. However, many cars were also built with Viking and flat panel roofs as well. Other hardware variations included doors, ladders, running boards, brake wheels and trucks.

Rapido’s HO model includes numerous parts to model the most possible combinations. Our cars include square and round post ends (with correct sides) as well as Canadian NSC-2 and 5/5 rib ends. We’ve made Murphy raised panel, flat panel and Viking roof with either wood or photo-etched steel running boards in multiple patterns. Access to the roof is by seven or eight rung ladders. Canadian cars include ladders with integral sill steps. Youngstown and Superior 6’ doors are available, as are multiple styles of brake wheels and housings. 

The HO scale 1937 AAR Boxcar features:

• Original car drawings used for design
• Highly detailed underframe with brake piping and more
• Correct brake wheels and housings
• Separate roofwalk and grab irons
• Multiple end, roof and door variations
• Semi-scale metal knuckle couplers
• Free rolling trucks with profiled metal wheels
• Minimum suggested radius: 18”