In 1985, CN acquired ex-Railbox Pullman-Standard 50-foot, 5277 cu.ft., 100-ton boxcars with 10-foot single sliding doors (RBOX 40750-41399) built in 1980. While still in Railbox paint, CN rebuilt them in 1993-94 with 12-foot doors, door stoppers and vents, renumbered CNA 412250-412574. (Though some received CN 419000-series reporting marks prior to re-dooring.) CNA 412395 was placarded at Belleville, September 4, 1999 (top photo). I used this photo for my HO scale conversion of CNA 412390:
Some re-doored CNA Railbox observations including date, car and CN train on:
Nov 11/99 CNA 412488 on No 320Mar 27/02 CNA 412441 on No 309
April 27/02 CNA 412483 on No 364
Sep 26/05 CNA 412637 on No 376
Oct 1/05 CNA 412260-412283 on No 309
Feb 22/09 CNA 412355 on No 308
May 2/09 CNA 412355
Interestingly, CNA 412283 is still running around in this patched scheme. It was eastbound on CN No 376 on March 6, 2016:
Michael Schwiebert posted this photo to Facebook, showing CNA 412434 in Ohio back in April, 1994:
Nearly the last one in the class...video capture of CNA 412562 on July 13, 2018 on CN No 377 at Kingston. Duide, where's my Railbox? Note logo fading:
And it's still really running on September 29, 2023 - what looks like the other side, taken from above near Kingston's VIA station on CN No 372 (below). I noticed it in a video taken in Quebec in December, showing the above side. Will it be the last re-doored Mailbox in service?
December 2019 Update: CNA 412345 through Belleville, ON on the 2nd, bilaterally-graffiti'd: 
April 2020 update: CNA 412557 in this video:
March 2021 Update: CNA 412375 soldiers on (image courtesy Railstream, LLC):
- CNA 412258 with unusual brown paint behind reporting marks.
- Peter Mumby's photo of CNA 412450 in this post
- Conversion thread with model photo (scroll) of CNA 412375.
- Athearn produced a former RBOX CN 419311 before re-dooring:
Running extra...
'Twas two weeks before Christmas and all down the line, Legault Metal gons were hauling scrap from Senneterre on 369. This rider was situated all snug on 651, with a cup of joe and banana-chocolate muffin, awaiting the sun....
Once in the trainshed, the train stopped with a jerk - so I disembarked with the others and got right to work. The scaffolding was hung all over Union Station with care, in hopes that renovation soon would be there.
P42's on each end, in Business Class drinks flowed, we got the heck out of Toronto, loud whistles at every road. But I heard myself exclaim, as this post scrolls out of sight, happy couplers to all, I'll never switch, so good night!
4 comments:
You know, Eric, many of your posts inspire me to go into my Lightroom catalog of photos and look up rolling stock photos. I've always been a fan of Railbox boxcars for some reason so I have photographed a few here and there.
However I've never photographed those boxcars, apparently... but my son did, once. He had my camera while I was shooting video and took two photos of CNA 412273 in Saint John in January 10, 2009. However it was already painted in CN brown but definitely looks like the same Railbox style car but with added vents etc.
I'm glad to hear I'm making the inspirational lightbulb come on in the Lightroom! Of course I figured I had more photos, too. Not really. Interestingly, the door stoppers seemed to have been added before the many vents. I think the method of shipping paper products changed during that time, as many boxcars sprouted such vents.
I don't have a really 'tight' roster of these cars, and it's likely that it was not a continuous series of cars. Your sighting sounds about right!
The way the Railbox logos faded was neat to model.
Thanks for your comment,
Eric
Hmmm, I have a RailBox boxcar in HO scale. The new layout hasn't been built and this car is still in a box, but you have me thinking of what I might do to it. At the very least, I can get a second car and give it the CN treatment. Nice post.
I think that's a great idea, Michael!
Eric
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