A1G 3130 Series: Box Car, Steel 86 Foot "HiCube"


This series was one of the last of the "first generation," made by Roco for Atlas. I think you can see the difference in the quality of tooling and the painting. These are standout cars, and in a fair amount of demand, especially that really sharp "SP" car. All four paint schemes are closer to the prototype than many of the other A1G series. I think they still "hold their own" with some of the more recent issues of this body style of freight car.

Key spotting features for this car are:
- Underframe stamped "Atlas Austria" in the center left of the underframe
- Eight doors, four on each side
- Indentations along the sides of the car, on either side of each set of double doors
- Extended trucks with Rapido couplers-- they're needed for this car! Still the same design, though, with wheels pressed on seperate axles and Rapido couplers, attached with "foldover" metal strips

Be careful with the 3131 Baltimore and Ohio, as Trix released a similar car. The Trix cars have rib sides, though, if I'm not mistaken.

There are no major or minor variations of these four cars of which I am aware. When these cars were produced, quality control was probably a bit better at Roco than it had been in earlier times.

Note: The following information on conditions and "Approximate Value" prices are intended to be a guideline only and is presented with no warranties, express or implied. Caution: Definitions and prices can and do vary with collectors, buyers and sellers, and, of course, whether a person is buying or selling an item. That's the way a "free market" works...

A 3130 series car in "as manufactured" or "AM" condition has:
- all four stirrups intact (they are somewhat recessed into the body of the car)
- brake wheel in place with no breakage or bending
- no weathering
- no abrasions, scratches or other damage to the paint
- the original extended trucks with the original metal wheels which were fitted to the axles
- "Rapido" type couplers, truck mounted (this is a case where changing to Micro-Trains® trucks and/or couplers is not a plus!).
Note that minor paint flaws on these cars were common and should not be considered especially "collectible"; in fact, I'd rather have a "perfect" paint job.

A 3130 series car in "mint in box" or "MIB," meets all "As Manufactured" criteria plus:
- no dust, dirt or wear on the car itself
- no wear on wheels (although discolored wheels are common)
- kept in the original Atlas box
- box itself is intact with no cracks, breakage or crazing, with original Atlas label (usually white with black printing), plastic liner (usually blue), and cover. Both inserts and labels vary as the A1G series was sold for years. Store price stickers may or may not detract depending on the placement, size and wear.

These cars are "gettable" but becoming harder to find and as such there is a "runner" value of from 20% to 40% of the "As Manufactured" value based on condition. AM and NIB values are higher than with other cars because these cars had a higher original price than earlier issues in the series.

Table of Releases: Where available, click on "Image" to popup an image of the actual car.
Catalog # Popup
Image
Reporting
Marks
Description AV
AM
AV
MIB
3131Image B&O 493025Dark Blue, Silver Doors and Roof/ Yellow, Blue, Large "B&O" Center12-1515-20
3132Image SP 615275 Red/ Gray Arrows to Center, White Lettering, Large "SP" in Circle, Center15-1818-25
3133Image GTW 378079Sky Blue, Silver Doors and Roof/ White, Large "GT" Center10-1515-20
3134Image NYC 67628 Jade Green, Silver Doors and Roof/ White, Cigar Band Herald Center12-1515-20

AV = Approximate Value (US$ range)
AM = As Manufactured, MIB = Mint In Box.
Abbreviations: Hld=Herald, R/N=Roadname, L/R=Left/Right Side of Car