Date
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Reefer Madness
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Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. <smithbf@...>
Hi All,
In spite of Byron's glowing review, I just had to pick up a Branchline ACF/URTX reefer in NKP paint this weekend...OK, so the price of $7.50 helped ;^) From my evaluation of the problem with the sides..it seems as if they are too thick and this causes the problem at the ends. I realize that most of us on this list can fix this in our sleep, but we aren't the buying public these days. It seems like such a stupid mistake - didn't anyone at Branchline actually build a production kit to make sure it was OK? I hope this combined with the 40' boxcar doesn't kill them as a company. In addition, y'all may have noticed that a photograph with the door latch bar in the correct position is nicely featured on the box cover (oops!). BTW, should the NKP car have the type A or type B ice hatch? On to another reefer. I'm putting together a few of the IM premium R-40-10 models (Thanks Richard!) and the "gothic" paint scheme (reweigh - Tucson, 1962) has me puzzled. I think IM molded the floor in orange to allow the sill details to be in the correct color, but this leaves the floor BRIGHT ORANGE! When dropping the underframe onto this, the black of the underframe parts on the orange is simply astounding! Having picked up Tony's PFE book this weekend (a little light reading) I still cannot figure out what the bottom of this car should be painted...I looked at the paint diagram in the back, but I've learned that different paint diagrams often use terms differently, and "underframe" usually refers to the steel parts only. I know it would get dirty FAST, but would the bottom of the floor boards have been unpainted, orange, or black (car cement)? I'm leaning towards the third choice and just giving the car a good jolt from below with my airbrush... Coming tommorrow - the "reefer madness quiz"...I shot a wood sheathed reefer this weekend...so its time to play "identify that car" as soon as I scan the pics! Happy Rails Bruce Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. Scott-Ritchey Research Center 334-844-5587, 334-844-5850 (fax) http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/ "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin __ / \ __<+--+>________________\__/___ ____________________________________ |- ______/ O O \_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | | / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 \ | ||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__|| |/_____________________________\|_|____________________________________| | O--O \0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-0-0 |
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byronrose@...
On Wed, 22 Aug 2001 13:14:58 -0500 "Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D."
<smithbf@...> writes: Hi All,Many times, but things change during production but not all changes can be compensated for. The thickness of the sides is but one problem causing the fit problem. The other is the length, at least on the cars I played with. My solution was thinning the thick end and then shortening as much as necessary to fit exactly, which is not as hard as it sounds, unless you have the shakes. I hope this combined with the 40' boxcar doesn't kill them as aI don't think the 40' boxcar "problem" hurt them at all. After all, they openly called attention to the problem and announced that they were redoing the tooling to make the models correct. The only thing they haven't done is offered to trade bad kits for good kits. I'd like to see a similar solution for the reefers. In addition, y'all may have noticed that a photograph with theThat photo surfaced long after the latches were cut in steel and I can blame myself for not picking that up earlier. It was that way on the few drawings I did see, and even on the early but poorly cast samples they sent me. I think I was offended by the sink marks and incomplete fills that I didn't bother to look any further. All that doesn't mean that it would have been corrected anyhow, it would entail quite a bit of work at that point. I'm sorry the entire door latching mechanism wasn't part of the same casting, just like every other reefer door latch casting made. Then the solution would have been very easy. Also, didja notice that the "drawing" part of the box cover illustration was not even for the same car, it was the flat u/f car built by General American? Or did I say that before? BTW, should the NKP car have the type A or type B iceThat information should be on the end wrap label. It is on all other labels. I think it's a type "A", but it might be a type "B." But some good soul, of which I am not one, will pipe up with that little bit of trivia. On to another reefer. I'm putting together a few of the IM premiumPaint the underneath (technical term including both underfloor, structural underframe, and brake rigging) basic black with some weathering and dare anyone to prove it wrong, or even care. Coming tomorrow - the "reefer madness quiz"...I shot a woodI hope you used an elephant gun to shoot that reefer, it takes a lot to bring one down. I also hope you didn't shoot it in your pajamas, you'll have a hell of a time explaining what a wood reefer was doing in your pajamas. BSR ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. |
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Lee B Singletary <LBSingletary@...>
Like Bruce, I picked up one of the URTX reefers at a good price in
Atlanta last Saturday. I got the URTX/Milwaukee 1952 repaint. Not being a reefer expert, I was wondering: A. Is this scheme correct for this car? B. Does it need a metal roofwalk (or is it running board)?(I know it needs AB brakes) C. Are there any other changes or upgrades besides what Byron mentioned in his review? Thanks for the help. Lee Lee Singletary Hoover, Alabama On Wed, 22 Aug 2001 13:14:58 -0500 "Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D." <smithbf@...> writes: Hi All,________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. |
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Richard Hendrickson
Lee Singletary wrote:
Like Bruce, I picked up one of the URTX reefers at a good price inYes. B. Does it need a metal roofwalk (or is it running board)?(I know itIts a running board, and no, the AAR rule required "other than wood" running boards after 1944 only on new cars; older ones could (and did) keep their wood running boards for many years. C. Are there any other changes or upgrades besides what Byron mentionedNot that I'm aware of. Richard H. Hendrickson Ashland, Oregon 97520 |
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Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. <smithbf@...>
Byron sez:
I hope you used an elephant gun to shoot that reefer, it takes a lot toI thought that statement might be misinterpreted when I wrote that <G>...however in my case, being a vet, I just used a tranquilizer gun to slow it down enough to get some photographs...and so, without further obfuscation, here are a couple of pictures of this reefer (methinks that Byron, Richard, and maybe one or two others will get this in their sleep - so try to get it on the first picture as the second should be a dead giveaway). http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/BFSpages/reefer.jpeg http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/BFSpages/reefer2.jpeg I also hope you didn't shoot it in your pajamas, you'llI won't even go there! Happy Rails Bruce Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. Scott-Ritchey Research Center 334-844-5587, 334-844-5850 (fax) http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/ "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin __ / \ __<+--+>________________\__/___ ____________________________________ |- ______/ O O \_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | | / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 \ | ||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__|| |/_____________________________\|_|____________________________________| | O--O \0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-0-0 |
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Richard Hendrickson
Fruit Growers, of course (or WFEX, which was operated by FGEX and ran some
cars of FGEX design and construction). Distinictive features include the side and end sills, sheathing retainer angles, roof, hatch cover rests, and the lettering style of the barely legible "Refrigerator" stenciling. Interestingly, this car was probably retired from the FGEX fleet fairly early, as it was not among the many wood sheathed cars rebuilt after WW II with heavier side sill channels and steel body framing; some of the latter survived in revenue service into the 1970s. Richard H. Hendrickson Ashland, Oregon 97520 |
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Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. <smithbf@...>
Richard said:
Fruit Growers, of course (or WFEX, which was operated by FGEX and ran someBingo! The car in question is at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth Ga (Atlanta) and is labeled FGEX #55558. The museum's brochure states a built date of c. 1940. The museum recently "shuffled" its collection, and this car which was previously stuffed in a siding, was out in front with a clean view of both sides and the A end. It looks like it might even be coming up on the list of restoration projects! Happy Rails Bruce Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. Scott-Ritchey Research Center 334-844-5587, 334-844-5850 (fax) http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/ "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin __ / \ __<+--+>________________\__/___ ____________________________________ |- ______/ O O \_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | | / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 \ | ||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__|| |/_____________________________\|_|____________________________________| | O--O \0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-0-0 |
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