Athearn introduced its 40-foot sliding door box car model in 1957, based on a “standard” design advanced by the Association of American Railroads. Also new at the same time, Athearn debuted the steel offset cupola caboose, four-truck heavy-duty flat car, and the EMD GP9 diesel. The box car originally sold for 89-cents in kit form for unlettered solid color models. Kits offered unlettered painted box car models in red, green or silver.

The first road names offered for the 40-foot box car model are: Burlington, Chicago & North Western, Lackawanna, and Union Pacific. Steel roofwalks and Youngstown-style ribbed doors were included in the kits. The fully decorated 40-footers sold in kit versions for $1.29 and were also sold ready to run for $1.98 each.

Over the years this boxcar would be released in a variety of roadnames. Third-party vendors like Bev-Bel would also release this car in specialty roadnames not offered by Athearn. Athearn would also produce custom-decorated cars for various private clients, though not offered as catalogued products. Production of this popular kit ended in 2009.

Athearn 40′ AAR Boxcar Catalog

40′ AAR Box Car
Akron, Canton & Youngstown
No. 1212

40′ AAR Box Car
Boston & Maine
No. 208 Kit -1957 Release B&M #74005
No. 308 RTR -1957 Release B&M #74005
No. 1202 Kit -1961 Release B&M #74005
No. 2202 RTR -1962 Release B&M #74005

40′ AAR Box Car
Boston & Maine
No. 209 Kit -1957 Release B&M #74706
No. 309 RTR -1957 Release B&M #74706

40′ AAR Box Car
Canadian National
No. 1209

40′ AAR Box Car
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
No. 207 Kit -1957 Release CB&Q #35789
No. 307 RTR -1957 Release CB&Q #35789
No. 1201 Kit -1961 Release CB&Q #35789
No. 2202 RTR -1961 Release CB&Q #35789

40′ AAR Box Car
Chicago & North Western
No. 1200 Kit -1957 Release CNW #5609
No. 2200 RTR -1957 Release CNW #5609

40′ AAR Box Car
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
No. 206 Kit -1957 Release DLW #51999
No. 306 RTR -1957 Release DLW #51999

40′ AAR Box Car
Grand Trunk Western
No. 1211

40′ AAR Box Car
Great Northern
No.1204

40′ AAR Box Car
Great Northern
No. 1223 Kit -1962 Release GN #27024
No. 2223 RTR -1962 Release GN #27024
No. 1223 -1994 Release GN #27023
No. 1223 -1996 Release GN #27026

40′ AAR Box Car
Gulf Mobile & Ohio
No. 1201 -1971 Release GM&O #21190
No. 1201 -1994 Release GM&O #21091
No. 1201 -1997 Release GM&O #21129

40′ AAR Box Car
Illinois Central
No.1207

40′ AAR Box Car
Maine Central
No. 1203

40′ AAR Box Car
Norfolk & Western
No. 1210

40′ AAR Box Car
Ontario Northland
No.1213

40′ AAR Box Car
Penn Central
No. 1206

40′ AAR Box Car
Santa Fe Shock Control
No.1221

40′ AAR Box Car
Southern Pacific
No. 1205 -1957 Release

40′ AAR Box Car
Southern Pacific
No. 1205

40′ AAR Box Car
Union Pacific
No. 205 Kit -1957 Release UP #187872
No. 305 RTR -1957 Release UP #187872

40′ AAR Box Car
Vermont Railway
No.1214

40′ AAR Box Car
Undecorated
No. 1200 -1957 Release

Custom Decorated Examples

Athearn produced custom-decorated cars for special orders. While not catalogued by Athearn, many of these cars are very collectible.

40′ AAR Box Car
Model Railroader 50th Anniversary
1984

This car was produced to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Model Railroader magazine. The car was offered for sale through ads placed in the magazine directly from Kalmbach Publishing. The car is lettered for the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy, the club layout maintained by the MR staff. Examples are very common and can usually be found at swap meets on a regular basis.