For the period between 1960 and 1970, most of the Arnold rapido freight cars were models of European cars, most of them being Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) cars.  This meant that most of the freight cars in the Arnold line of that period were two axle cars.  There were some four axle cars; in the earlier catalogs many of these were marketed as “American” cars even though many of them represented European prototypes. In part this disparity may be explained by the probable existence of two Arnold rapido catalogs, one for the European market and a second for the American market.

     Unlike the passenger cars in the rapido line, most of the freight cars were close to scale-sized and thus did not need to be retooled into versions which were more realistic.  Once issued by Arnold, most of the freight cars stayed in the product line during this period. There were some exceptions.

     In the case of the two axle tank cars, the Arnold part numbers assigned to these cars changed several times over the decade.  The above car started out as no. 0451SH.  By the 1965/1966 catalog, it was no. 0439.  By the 1970/1971 catalog, it was no. 0435.  Presumably, these model number changes reflected Arnold’s needs.  In the first case, the model number change resolved a potential source of confusion, because a similar car, lettered for British Petroleum, was no. 0451BP.  The second renumbering appears to be when the car itself was redesigned with improved details.

     The only real exception to the consistent Arnold rapido product numbering system is the 0452.  It started out in life as a flat car with a VW pickup truck.  By the 1970/1971 catalog, it had become a newly tooled car, representing a Hoechst gas tank car.