Gunderson Brothers Engineering Corporation of Portland OR was a small carbuilder that mostly produced box cars. While the company dates to the World War II era, the first significant box car production was started in the later 1960s. Built in 1968-1969, the 6089 cubic foot double plug door model was the first of its kind for Gunderson Brothers: the first 50’6” high cube boxcar. Gunderson Brothers continued the carbuilding trends of the 1960s, utilizing commercial components like Stanray dreadnaught ends, Stanray peaked roofs, and Hydra-Cushion center sills. These centered double-plug door box cars were purpose-built for paper, appliance, and other large products loading with easy access for forklifts, and they wandered all over North America during their service lives. With 1,050 cars produced in total, three railroads originally purchased these cars: SSW, SP, and DRGW. The SP and SSW cars were repainted in the 1980s/1990s and served into the 2000s.

The Tangent Scale Models Gunderson Brothers 50’6” 6089cf High Cube Double Plug Door Box Car includes incredible road-specific detailing for these three specific SP, SSW, and DRGW models. Each car includes accurate hand brake options, wire brake piping, door release rods, separate stirrup steps, and fine bracket grabs and ladders. Like all Tangent models, these cars come standard with HO scale’s most accurate colors and car stenciling. These models ride on our all-new 70-Ton Barber S-2 Birdsboro Foundry Roller Bearing truck (with three visible springs). Finally, our cars are weighted properly and are equipped with Kadee couplers which means they operate as good as they look.

A quick synopsis of our era and railroad-specific detail variations include:

• Dimensional accuracy – designed from actual field measurements taken from the prototype car resting in Toledo, OR

• Highly correct “true to life” colors

• “Hyper-Accurate” lettering including exact fonts and lettering placement

• Genuine Kadee scale couplers

• “Near-scale” draft gear box with beautifully-rendered side “key” detail

• “See through” etched crossover platforms

• Separate standoff door track details

• Precision Stanray ends and roof matching these prototypes

• Hydra-Cushion underframe layout and design including metal brake rods and hangers

• Road-specific details for each scheme, including 3 brakewheel housings options, 2 brakewheel options, “3rd Arm” door part options, 2 different crossover platform combinations and multiple tack board designs

• Beautiful details – wire grab irons and highly detailed “trombone style” coupler lift bars – no “molded in” plastic grab irons here!

• Durable rubber air hoses

• Our precision Tangent Scale Models 70-ton “Birdsboro foundry” Barber S-2 trucks with prototype-specific rotating bearing caps (four possible options!) and separate brake beam part (2 possible options!)

• CNC-machined 33” wheels

• Multiple road numbers for each scheme

• Recommended age 14 years and older

GVSR “B-70-43 Repaint 1996+” illustrates that oh-so-90s look of the “Golden West Service” paint scheme.  Starting in 1996, SP sold some groups of the SP and SSW B-70-42 cars to Greenbrier Leasing, who then refurbished the cars and leased them back to the SP through the GVSR.  Painted dark blue, these cars went right back to work on the SP for many years.  This model features lots of fine small door data and labels, carefully reproduced to add even more pop to those beautiful double plug doors.   The separate door tracks and “3^rd Arm” details really stand out!  We also applied “replacement” style tack boards on the sides and ends to duplicate the prototype after refurbishing.  The Tangent GVSR model is equipped with accurate black 70-ton “Birdsboro foundry” Barber S-2 trucks that have rotating “Timken” roller bearing caps.

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