Scale Models

Brand new and exclusive!

The iconic crossing watch box was a common sight along the N&W into the 1970s; some even survived as ground structures into the 1980s. These small structures, numbering in the hundreds at a time, guarded crossings before the introduction of automatic crossing gates, and in areas where yard movements would frequently trip automatic gates, an operator would manually control the gates to prevent traffic back-up for a movement that may not actually foul the crossing.

These kits include two examples in each set: one for the two-window version and another for the three-window version. There were two (and maybe more) versions of the bases and ladder (or step) for the elevated towers.

These kits can fit any N&W model layout from the 1920s through 1980s, with elevated ones disappearing in the early 1970s, but many remained on the ground in various uses.

Today, it is believed that the only example is at the Raymond Ratcliffe Transportation Museum in Pulaski, which our members visited during the convention in Radford in 2025.

These are craftsman-type laser-cut kits, and made from original plans.

HO Scale Sold Out - More Coming!

Norfolk and Western class BI, 36-foot, wooden box cars were built starting in 1909 by the Barney & Smith Car Company of Dayton, Ohio, and assigned road numbers 60500 through 60999.

Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER) data supplied by Eric Hansmann shows that in 1911, all 500 of these cars were on the roster and comprised 6% of the 8,415 total N&W box car fleet.

In 1913, only one car was off the roster, leaving 499 with 7% of the 6,902 total N&W box car fleet.

By 1919, 16 of these cars had been lost, leaving a total of 484 cars or 6% of the 7,839 total N&W box car fleet.

By 1926, 472 cars remained for 9.5% of the 4,986 total N&W box car fleet.

By 1934, the total number of BI cars stood at 431 cars or 10% of the 4,243 total N&W box car fleet, and in 1943, only 334 cars remained in service, comprising 4% of the 8,383 total N&W box car fleet, and they were the only 36-foot interior length N&W box cars in service.

As you can see from these numbers, the BI series box cars served the N&W well for more than 4 decades, and during that time, they wore at least four different paint schemes.

The Virginian classified these hoppers as H-15 and assigned them road numbers in the series 26000 through 26999. In 1956, the Virginian built 300 more hoppers to this same design in their shops at Princeton, West Virginia. This new series of cars was given class H-15A and assigned road numbers 27000 through 27299. The Princeton shops built a final batch of 200 of this type of hopper, classified as H-15B, with road numbers 27300-27499, yielding a total of 1500 cars.

When the Virginian Railway merged with the Norfolk & Western Railway in late 1959, the N&W received 1489 of these hoppers and classified them as N&W class H-35. These cars remained in service and by 1980, about 400 of these hoppers were left in active service. This number dropped to 232 in 1983, and after this, the remaining cars were either scrapped or put into maintenance of way service. So, these cars made it into the Norfolk Southern era, giving you 23 years to be in your model fleet.

The model committee of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society is pleased to be able to offer HO scale models of these hoppers decorated and numbered for the N&W’s roster. Accurail has decorated these cars using photos and diagrams from the N&WHS database. We offer two kits from the factory lettered with two different road numbers, 126073 and 126489. Each kit comes with additional complete side and end number decals for six additional car numbers. These decals can also be cut in sections that make any road numbers possible. The decals are printed directly on a substrate of the paint used on the cars for an exact match, making the result virtually indiscernible. A video on our website shows how to use these decals and the outstanding results that can be achieved.

A single kit is priced at $25.95, and $23.95 for society members. They are also available in six packs for $138 and twelve packs for $260.

HO Scale!

Two sheets!

The section foreman’s house was a common structure along the N&W in many places, and the single story version may be slightly more common, but the all new kit features the 2-story variety that was also common. Every N&W layout should have at least one of these structures, if not more, make a few varieties, customize them for your era and layout. There are varieties of these buildings, and if nothing else, use them as regular residences on your railroad. What a true way to get an N&W flavor to your railroad. Shipping very soon, unexpected shipping delays have been encountered!

• HO Scale
• Laser cut wood kit

• Laser cut wood kit
• N&WHS Exclusive!
• Never previously released!
• Photo of actual model!
• HO Scale shipping now
• N Scale Coming soon!