As the need arose in the 1930s for greater car
capacity, many railroads found themselves constrained by tunnels and
other tight clearances. One solution came from the Pennsylvania in 1933
in the new X31 class. The X31 and similar X31A subclass were easily
identified by their rounded roofs. In a few years, the AAR adopted a
slightly different variation of this initial design which was picked up
by multiple railroads. The Seaboard continued to reorder cars based on
this basic design into the 1940s. Finished automobiles were a common
load for the double-doored variation of this design but the large door
openings quickly found favor for lumber loading as well as machinery or
other large loads. Some cars would be rebuilt in later years and many
survived into the 1960s. Our first run of the double-door X-31's in
over a decade, these cars are perfect for service on any layout!