The Rapido Trains HO scale GN 12-panel boxcars feature:

• Accurate sides
• Early or Late Improved Dreadnaught Ends as appropriate
• Diagonal panel roofs
• Accurate welded underframes will full underbody piping and detailing
• Correct 6’ Youngstown doors
• Free rolling ASF Ride-Control trucks with turned metal wheelsets
• Rapido semi-scale couplers
• Accurate paint and lettering
• Multiple road numbers per scheme

The Great Northern Railway built many of its boxcars in its own shops in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. Included in these were two groups of boxcars in 1953 and 1955. These cars had six-foot doors, diagonal panel roof and twelve-panel riveted sides with straight sills. Between the two groups nearly 1000 cars were built.

The first group, series 21450-21939 built in 1953, utilized the then current early improved dreadnaught end. The later 1955 group, series 5000-5499, were built with the updated late improved dreadnaught end – the difference between the two being the main rib shape.

Both groups were delivered in the Great Northern’ s mineral brown scheme with a large goat herald. Over the years cars from these groups were repainted into the various colorful schemes that the GN developed through the late 1950s and into the 1960s.