While sliding doors were used on almost all box cars built prior to WWII, after the war many railroads experimented with the use of plugdoors on freight cars. Similar in design to the doors used on many refrigerator cars, boxcar plugdoors offered the benefits of a tight seal and a smooth inside wall surface. Initially built in small numbers, plugdoor boxcars gained popularity starting in the 1950's. During the following decade over 3,000 cars were built to similar designs for a number of different owners. Theses cars were used to haul a wide variety of products, many of which had formally been hauled in reefers.
50’ plug door boxcar kits feature: 8' plug with seperate latch bars, 7 or 8 rung ladders, overhanging diagonal panel roofs, accurate postwar ends, and accurate paint and lettering.
