Reefers for the Conn River Set

conductorchris · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 62 Location: Westminster VT

The texture on the steel car is by Rick Franzosa and is a duplicate of one in the PRR4 set (with a different number).

These cars were on that same CP train through Wells River that brought the Oscar Mayer car.

conductorchris · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 62 Location: Westminster VT

conductorchris · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 62 Location: Westminster VT

I put this little 37' car next to another reefer and boxcar to show scale. The meat packers kept with 36' and 37' reefers far after the rest of the industry had moved on, supposedly to match doors in their plants. This is the first time a shorter meat reefer has been available for open rails or MSTS.

Swift had meat branch stations in White River Junction and Brattleboro and also sent traffic overhead.

This car represents a GATC rebuild. It's unusual in the Swift fleet in a few details (for example roof, lower sill, having a ladder instead of grabs and a power brake). The car is another that was photographed in Wells River on a Candian Pacific train inbound to White River Junction.

conductorchris · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 62 Location: Westminster VT

conductorchris · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 62 Location: Westminster VT

conductorchris · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 62 Location: Westminster VT

conductorchris · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 62 Location: Westminster VT

Using Tim Muir's model, with brake wheel modified by Rick Franzosa.
These cars started life in banana service, but some were used in milk service in later years. The one on the bottom had been converted to company ice service. There is a 1951 photo of this car being in White River Junction, although in an earlier paint scheme than this. But the set is targeted to 1956 and this is how the car looked then.

All three cars were painted the same color, but the faded one is older.