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  2. Throwback Thursday: Ambroid PRR Class R7 Reefer

Re: Throwback Thursday: Ambroid PRR Class R7 Reefer

Ralph W. Brown
 

Hi Tom,
 
Thanks.
 
I have about two dozen Ambroid kits and a handful of the subsequent Northeastern kits, some built, most not or unfinished.  One of the yet to be built Northeastern kits is, I think, the Northeastern version of this kit, “HR-2 Refrigerator PRR.”  It’s been a very long time and the description is a bit generic, so I’m not sure just what it is.  Maybe I’ll more it up my very long list.
 
Pax,
 
 
Ralph Brown
Portland, Maine
PRRT&HS No. 3966
NMRA No. L2532

rbrown51[at]maine[dot]rr[dot]com
 

From: Tom Madden via Groups.Io
Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2019 5:09 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Throwback Thursday: Ambroid PRR Class R7 Reefer
 

Here's a link to a useful listing of all the Ambroid 1 of 5000 kits:
http://www.trainweb.org/ambroidkits/trains/woodkits/Ambroid_5-Cars.htm

I lusted after them and bought each as they were released. Built all of the first series but gave up buying them after #4 of the second series as it seemed they were really reaching for prototypes. Plus I was deeply into Colorado narrow gauge by then and ended up selling all my '50s era standard gauge models and kits except for my first locomotive, a Mantua Shifter 0-4-0. Still have it. Also still have a small drawer full of Mantua and Comet paper freight car sides. Mostly reefers.

Like many modelers of the time I was greatly influenced by John Allen's articles and Varney ads. Hard to believe he's been gone for over 46 years. I know in some circles his work is no longer greeted with acclaim because he wasn't a prototype modeler and, like Malcolm Furlow's modeling, it seems to lean heavily towards caricature. But the G&D seemed credible and real to me at the time.....

Tom Madden
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