WalthersMainline 910-3802 50' Rocket Train Buffer Car Missouri Pacific #357087 HO Scale Pre-Order

WalthersMainline 50' Rocket Train Buffer Car

Missouri Pacific • Road Number 357087 • HO Scale

Quick Specs

Product Overview

Some journeys to space begin with a much more grounded form of transportation. The WalthersMainline HO Scale 50' Rocket Train Buffer Car brings one of the most unusual and fascinating railroad operations to your layout, recreating a specialized car used as part of NASA's solid rocket booster trains.

First introduced with the Space Shuttle program in 1981, NASA's rocket train transported solid rocket boosters from Morton Thiokol in Utah to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. These trains included heavy-duty four-truck flatcars carrying rocket components under protective hoods, along with specialized support cars that helped separate and protect the sensitive cargo.

Although the original rocket train was retired in 2011 with the end of the Space Shuttle program, the operation returned in 2020 for the Artemis lunar program. This Missouri Pacific buffer car offers a distinctive addition to a complete NASA rocket train consist or an unforgettable standalone piece for any specialized freight collection.

A Railroad Connection to Space Exploration

NASA's solid rocket booster trains connected aerospace manufacturing facilities in Utah with launch operations in Florida. Buffer cars played an important role within these highly specialized consists by helping separate sensitive rocket components from other equipment. The result was one of the most distinctive and recognizable freight operations in modern railroad history.

Product Features

Features of the 50' Rocket Train Spacer and Clearance Car include:

• •Factory-installed clearance rings on the spacer car
• •Correct Plate B dimensions: 41' 3" truck centers; 15' 2" tall and 10' 8" wide
• •Available in both prototypical and special commemorative schemes celebrating NASA and the historic Artemis moon missions
• •Correct 36" RP-25 metal wheels
• •Proto MAX(TM) metal knuckle couplers

Why We Love This Model

Railroad equipment connected to the space program is uncommon, making this buffer car an especially interesting addition to any collection. The Missouri Pacific scheme gives the model a traditional railroad appearance while its unusual purpose connects it directly to one of America's most ambitious transportation and engineering efforts. It is ideal for modelers assembling the full rocket train or anyone who appreciates specialized freight equipment with a remarkable story.

Add a Piece of Rocket Train History to Your Railroad

Reserve this Missouri Pacific Rocket Train Buffer Car and begin building one of the most distinctive specialized freight operations ever to travel American rails.

Pre-Order Notice

This is a pre-order-only production—quantities are limited and based on reservations.

How to Place Your Pre-Order

1. Wait for the button to say “Pre-Order Now”
2. Confirm you see “$0.00 due today”
3. Complete checkout

How Pre-Orders Work

• •Reserve your item today.
• •We will contact you once inventory is en route to us with your final invoice.
• •Manufacturer delivery dates are estimates and may change.
• •You will still enter payment information at checkout, but as long as you see “$0.00 due today”, your card will not be charged.
• •We do not automatically charge cards when pre-orders arrive. You will receive a separate invoice once your item is ready to ship.

Important Note

Orders placed without the “$0.00 due today” option selected will be processed as full-payment orders. Please review our refund policy and other pre-order policies before placing your order.