WalthersMainline 910-3806 50' Rocket Train Clearance Car NASA NLAX #72958 HO Scale Pre-Order

WalthersMainline 50' Rocket Train Clearance Car

NASA • NLAX #72958 • 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 Clearance Car brings one of the most unusual and fascinating railroad operations to your layout, recreating a specialized car used in trains carrying solid rocket booster components across the country.

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 spacer and clearance cars positioned between the component-carrying cars.

While the original rocket train was retired in 2011, it returned to service in 2020 for the Artemis lunar program. Finished in a distinctive NASA scheme, NLAX #72958 offers modelers a direct connection to the specialized rail operations supporting America's space program.

NASA's Specialized Rocket Train

The NASA rocket train carried critical solid rocket booster components over a long route from Utah to Florida. Spacer and clearance cars were an essential part of these trains, helping manage the unusual equipment and cargo dimensions while separating the specialized flatcars. This model offers an unusual opportunity to recreate a railroad operation tied directly to both the Space Shuttle and Artemis programs.

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

The NASA scheme gives this model an unmistakable connection to America's space program. Beyond its visual appeal, the car represents a real and highly specialized railroad operation that supported decades of space exploration. It is a natural centerpiece for a complete rocket train and an equally compelling standalone model for railroad, aerospace, and NASA collectors.

Bring NASA's Rocket Train to Your Layout

Reserve NASA NLAX #72958 and add a truly unique piece of railroad and space-program history to your HO scale roster.

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.