RAILBOX - Trains Magazine - Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms
David Craig
Updated on April 07, 2026
Last month (only a week or so ago), I saw the first of a new series of TBOXs come through; the build date was 6/04. They're the first of 1000 cars in the group, so we'll be seeing new ones for a few more months, anyway.
I haven't seen any FBOX cars built since 4/04, but I think that's just my location...I'm pretty sure those are still coming out as well, and somebody who lives or works along a different railroad might be seeing plenty of them.
TTX has also reserved reporting marks IBOX, but as of now I don't know what kind of car those are going to be.
ABOX and large RBOX cars still are plentiful, though some of those have gone to railroads like CN and ATW.
The smaller RBOX cars from the first orders were divided among nine railroads: ATSF, BN, C&O, RF&P, SCL, MP, Southern, SP, and UP. The cars that were operated by SP, UP, RF&P, SOU, and ATSF have gone on to other lessees; some have been rebuilt in various ways (a lot of these cars are now sporting WC paint and plug doors, for example; others have been modified with ventilator systems and increased height for pulp service).
All of the _BOX reporting marks are now assigned to TTX Company; I believe that the Railbox Company (originally the American Rail Box Car Company) as a separate entity has been dissolved. You won't find the "Railbox" lettering on any of the TBOX or FBOX cars, though the "Next Load/Any Road" slogan and logo still survives (despite its susceptibility to a rather lewd corruption).
Carl