Pfe Pacific

Modelers of HO trains model railroad after specific periods of the United States and Canada. From almost the beginning of railways in America 40 foot boxcar has been in existence. This began to disappear from the railways in the 1960s.

Refrigeration was changing from the old method ice-air cars of the modern thermal condition that is free cooling. In addition, 40 Footer was becoming too small. The top 50 and 60 feet were assuming and even experimented with 86 foot boxcars. The big railroads would carry more freight and reduce the tonnage that had to carry. Took 125 40 Freight Cars equal to 100 50 foot boxcars. The reduction would be 25 freight cars at least 40 times its expected gross foot gap.

This was not certainly an advantage to the railways, much less maintaining the smallest car. With this in mind most of the miniatures that I still prefer the van 40 feet. They like the era of the late 1920s though the 1960s. They are also very colorful and interesting. Many of these nostalgic designed colorful wagons are gone unless you can be at a railway museum. There were so many different designs and logos to see.

Fans still have the opportunity to find many of these wagons of colors that are manufactured by the various models of railway freight cars. Examples are Kadee, Intermountain, Athearn / Athearn Genesis, Accurail, Bachmann, Walther, Red Caboose, Bowser, Roundhouse (roundhouse is now only cars before the twentieth century), Branchline, Life-Like, etc. There are many more who sell cars on a freight kit like some of the aforementioned companies. You can even get kits wood, but not common.

Now for the types of freight cars of 40 feet is more than can possibly think. The types of construction and use varied. Everything depended on the railroad where they are located mainly and types of products, food and perishables that were being sent. Perishable products, products commodities (wheat, corn, barley, soybeans, etc.), equipment that was to be closed, parts, manufacturing equipment that was relatively small and the manufacturer does not want that tools and equipment or dinged by debris, ice, snow and heavy rains, hailstorms and typical of the Midwest.

Typically soft products, as flour, sugar, fruit, dairy products and processed meats were transported in 40 foot refrigerated containers. These cars are smaller than the standard 40-footer. Most of these wooden reefers were like most other 40-foot boxcars. This changed, however, step Time with metal reefers.

There are several types of steel 40-foot boxcars. There are the following types:
Superior 40Â 'Door Boxcar, 40Â 'Double Door Boxcar, 40Â' Boxcar ribbed; Modern 40Â 'Boxcar; Express 40Â' Boxcar; 1937 AAR 40Â 'Boxcar; 40Â '12 Boxcar Group, AAR 40Â 'Modified Boxcar; 40Â' PS-1 Boxcar, 40Â 'Boxcar w / Youngstown Door, 40a' double Boxcar door; High 40Â '-Cube Boxcar; 40Â' Boxcar ribbed; Steel 40Â 'Boxcar w / 6 Panel Doors; 40Â' Steel & Wood ice Bunker reefers, 40Â 'Steel & Wood Wagon. This includes several types of 40Â 'stock cars.

In all everyone had a specific purpose for the railroad and the user. Many of the refrigerators were labeled with the name of the product and the producer of the goods transported. There Rath Black Hawk Meats, Swift, Carnation Milk Products, Meats Needham, and major companies such as Pacific Fruit Express. The Pacific Fruit Express Enterprise (PFE), owned by the largest number of refrigerated vehicles of any of the users of different refrigerators. Union Pacific owned the second largest number PFE reefer vessels and took more cold than any other railroad during this period of Boxcar's 40Â '/ was Reefer.

With time has gone on the wagon has almost disappeared from the railroads. However, the need for freight cars has now become critical. Piggy Back and double stack containers not necessarily the means necessary for some products. The car can actually have a return on today's railways.

Michael & Joy Ball have been involved in the restoration and maintenance of a variety of Brass Model Locomotives. Through their years of expertise, Michael & Joy have perfected the art of train restoration often spending countless hours preserving vintage Brass Locomotives to running condition of even the newest Brass Model Replicas. Receive their free newsletter at www.brasslocomotiveworks.com

An O-Scale Southern Pacific AC-12 hauling PFE reefers.