Fruit Growers Express Refrigerator 38570

At the 2023 Naperville/Chicagoland Railway Prototype Modelers (RPM) Conference vendor area I purchased an InterMountain Railway Company (IM), Fruit Growers Express (FGEX) refrigerator kit.  The kit builds into a steel 40 foot FGEX refrigerator (reefer) numbered 57280, kit number 40508-09.   Upon seeing this kit my mind filled with memories of Bill Welch, who before his passing was in the process of writing a book or books on the Fruit Growers Express, Burlington Refrigerator Express and Western Fruit Express that operated as one company.   Bill shared his research with modelers as myself with copies of his excellent presentations at RPMs on wood and steel cars.

My build began with looking up the kit car number which I found to be a number on a wood car.  In addition, I found in 1948 various wood cars were rebuilt.  My first thoughts were wood reefer 57280 must have been rebuilt with steel sides.  WRONG!

Checking if car number was correct.
It was NOT.
(Click on this or any image to enlarge
You may have to click on "ESC" key to retun)

Upon contacting several others modelers with knowledge of the Fruit Growers Express reefers I was made aware the number was indeed a wood car number and the 1948 rebuild done was to increase of height of the wood car and not to add steel sides.  Bill Welch article “InterMountain’s 40-Foot FGE Reefers” in Railmodel Journal, February 2005, includes the information regarding the rebuilt wood cars emerging with a taller body.

During the exchange of emails regarding the IM kit, I began the build of the FGEX reefer using MEK to attach the ends to the car body and set it aside to work on the underbody.  On the underbody, the underframe was glued in place again with MEK ( if you use provide adequate ventilation) as would most plastic parts and details added.  After holes were drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws, Kadee #262 narrow whisker coupler pockets with Kadee #148 couplers inserted were installed with Fastenal 3/16 inch screws.  Kit trucks with Intermountain 33 inch metal wheel sets inserted were installed with 2-56 x 1/4 screws after mounting holes had been tapped for 2-56 screws.   I continued working on the underbody installing details until finished as follows:

• Air reservoir, kit
• AB valve, kit
• Brake cylinder, unknown, with .036 drill used for hole to install piston
• Brake cylinder piston, Tichy Train Group (Tichy) AB set #3013
• Brake cylinder mount, Tichy AB set #3013
• Brake levers, kit, with all kit piping cut off
• Brake lever hangers, bent, Tichy #1106, .0125 dia. phosphor bronze wire (PBW)
• Brake rods, Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW
• Brake rod clevises, made with MEK Goop (plastic melted in MEK)
• Brake lever rod chain, A-Line black 40 links per inch
• Bell crank and chain, kit
• Train line, Tichy #1114, .020 diameter PBW
• Dirt collector, kit pipe with MEK Goop additions

Underbody details installed.

Later the underbody installed parts were hand painted Vallejo Model Color Black #70.950

Underbody parts installed painted.

When the underbody was finished I added seven 1/4 ounce stick on tire weights to the inside of the car body to bring the weight of the reefer to 3.8 ounces.   The roof was added; however, not glued until later when confirmed it was the correct roof  (it was correct).   Now, the kit ladders were installed on the sides and ends.

Ladders installed.

At this point, the build could not proceed until a prototype FGE reefer, if existed, was found.   Thankfully there was a prototype.   The prototype FGE reefer built by Indiana Harbor Shops in 1947-1948, series 38500 to 38634, had key features which matched this model.  The feature included double rows of rivets on the sides, 3/3 improved Dreadnaught ends, “Murphy” solid steel panel roof, roof hatches and air circulation fans.

Bill Welch Photo Collection.

However, the model did not have other features the prototype had that would have to be added.  These features included the unusual use of four horizontal sheets per side (horizontal rivet rows in middle of car) which could be simulated using Archer rivets, the doors hinges which on the model looked like those on reefers built for Fruit Growers Express outside the “system” by Pacific Car & Foundry in 1949 which could be reworked, wide sill steps under the doors,  the tab sills were different; however, they could be reworked, Apex Tri-Lok running boards and Universal power hand brakes which could be added.   Now knowing a prototype existed and it’s number series, work on the build of this car to be numbered 38570 would continue. 

On the roof kit hatches and hatch levers were installed.  A Kadee Apex, # 2001, running board with laterals cut off was installed with Testors Tube Cement.

Hatches and running board installed.

On the sides Kadee bracket grab irons, #2251, were installed and hand painted Vallejo Model Color Black #70.950.  Next, the first major change, making door hinges match the prototype was begun.   On the car body the door hinges were carefully removed with a micro scalpel blade to the hinge pin.   Grandt Line Refrigerator Car Hinges, #5168, cut off from tip to hinge pin were installed with Testors Tube Cement.  And, the car number was removed on the sides and ends with scratch brush and 91% isopropyl alcohol.

Door hinge change started on left side of door.
Incorrect car number removed on sides.

Incorrect car number removed on ends.

After the door hinge work was completed the second major rework of the sill tabs was completed.  Before the sill tab rework was started the circulation fans on-off mechanism (square box on sill near fan on side) provided in the kit was installed.  Now the sill tabs were matched to the prototype (see Bill Welch photo above) by using Evergreen #133, .030 x .060 strip styrene.  The new sill tabs were hand painted with Grey Vallejo Surface Primer 70.601.

Sill tabs work to match prototype.

Sill tabs work to match prototype
viewed from undrbody.

Once the Surface Primer was dry, the side sills were hand painted with Vallejo Model Air/MicroMark Reefer Yellow, #29028X2.    And, door hinges were hand painted Vallejo Model Color Black # 70.950 as the underbody installed parts were.

New door hinges and sills painted.

With major changes needed to match the prototype done, the B end work was completed.   B end work included install of the following parts:

• Brake housing, kit 
• Brake housing chain, Precision Scale #48553, 34 links per inch
• Brake step (platform) brackets, kit
• Brake step, cut from Kadee running board lateral removed earlier in build
• Brake rod, Tichy #1102, .015 diameter PBW
• Brake rod clevis, kit, to attach brake rod to bell crank
• Retainer valve, resin from parts box
• Retainer line, Tichy #1100, .008 diameter PBW
• Retainer line brackets, Tichy #1101, .008 diameter PBW
• Grab irons, sill, bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
• Grab iron, kit bracket, handhold cut off,  new .010 diameter PBW installed.
• Placard boards, kit

B end parts installed.

A Kadee Universal brake wheel #2033, was installed.   All added detail parts were now hand painted  with Vallejo Model Color Burnt Red 70.814.

Brake wheel installed and all parts parts 
added painted.

Back to the sides where sill steps, A-Line #2900, were installed in holes drilled with #76 drill.

Sill steps installed.

Back to the B end to install uncoupling levers.  First, the brackets, Evergreen #291, .060 angle glued to sill tab with poling pocket, drilled with #76 drill and trimmed with PBL nipper for final shape.  The uncoupling levers bent from Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW install followed.

Uncoupling levers installed.

Uncoupling lever and bracket installed.

Fruit Growers Express refrigerator was ready for the paint shop.   Any installed part that had not already been hand painted was painted now.   And, if a painted part needed touch up it was done now.  The InterMountain re-brown paint on roof and ends was matched with Vallejo Model Color Burnt Red 70.814, reefer yellow with Vallejo/MicroMark Model Air Reefer Yellow, X29028X2, and black hardware correct for my Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company period  was matched with Vallejo Model Color Black #70.950.  In the paint shop the car body was airbrushed with Vallejo #70.510 Gloss Varnish to provide a gloss base for decal application.

Car ready lettering.

Car ready lettering.

After drying overnight, number and rivet decals were applied.  The side and end number decals were made by applying Woodland Scenics Dry Transfer numbers to decal paper.  Dry transfer sets used were RR Gothic Black 1/8”, DT511, for the side numbers and for the end numbers, set DT507, RR Gothic White.   The end numbers a little larger than I would have liked; however, best I had available.  The horizontal rivet line on the car body sides was done with Archer Resin Rivet Heads, AR88026, 5/8 head diameter.

A great tip George Toman suggested was to scribe a line made with the back of a #11 Xacto blade to area where decal rivet line was to be applied to help align the rivet decals when applied.  Definitely the method to use as without the scribed line rivet decal would have been difficult to align.  The scribed lines on this build were made prior to application of the gloss coat for decal base.

Note scribed line in middle of car.

 

Decals were soaked off in distilled water and applied to the car body where MicroScale Micro Set had been applied with a brush.   After the decal was applied in the Micro Set and positioned the edges had MicroScale Micro Sol applied.  Any excess solution was sucked away with the torn edge of a paper towel.  Again when dry, car body airbrushed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish #70.510 to better hide edges of decals and protect decals during handling.  Again when dry, the car body was airbrushed with Vallejo Matt Varnish, 70.520.  Since a flatter finish was desired, the car body was airbrushed again with Model Master Acryl Flat Clear #34636, to protect decals and provide a flat finish for weathering when applied.

FGEX 38570 with numbers and rivet lines.

FGEX 38570 with numbers and rivet lines
prior to Matt and Flat Clear finish applied.

Back from the paint shop, the wide sill steps below the doors were installed.  Old Model Die Casting double step sill steps were sanded and filed to a .020 thickness.  The top sill mounts were made by squeezing the tops of the sill step sides with pliers to form brackets.  The wide sill steps were installed now rather than before airbrushing due ease of breaking off due to car holder used for airbrushing.  Due to ease of breaking off, ounce in-service the steps may be replaced with ones made with wire.

Wide sill steps under doors installed.

Now the weathering was done with Pan Pastels before putting Fruit Growers Express Refrigerator 38570 in service.  Pan Pastels Burnt Sienna Shade 740.3 was applied with a makeup brush on the ends and roof.  Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1 was used on the roof, on sides, especially on rivet lines and lightly over safety appliances on car body.

FGEX 38570 weathered with Pan Pastels.

FGEX 38570 weathered with Pan Pastels.

FGEX 38570 refrigerator car was ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for FGEX 38570 the final step to put the a car in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.

FGEX spotted at Kruger's in Minneapolis, Minn.

FGEX spotted at Kruger's in Minneapolis, Minn.

FGEX spotted at Kruger's.

FGEX spotted at Kruger's.

FGEX spotted at Kruger's.

I want to say, “Thank You” to George Toman for providing Bill Welch steel car photo and suggestion for a scribe line for decal rivet application for reefer FGEX 38570.  A “Thank You” to Ted Culotta for steering me to the Railmodel Jounal Bill Welch FGEX article.  A “Thank You “ to Fenton Wells for providing photos to assist with the build.

Thank You for taking time to read my blog.  You can share a comment in the section below if you choose to do so.  Please sign your comment with your name if you choose to leave one.  All comments are reviewed and approved before they appear.  Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.

Lester Breuer

.

Great Northern Mather Stock Cars 55034 and 55102

In my effort to reduce the plastic freight cars in the to-build cabinet, I chose two Proto 2000, Life-Like Products Great Northern (GN) Mather 40 ft. Single Deck Stock cars kits.   One Mather car numbered 55034, kit number 21207, and the other 55102.  As the single deck Mather Northern Pacific Stock Car 80136, a Proto 2000, Life-Like kit I built and did a blog post on in February, 2019, these GN stock cars were a fairly easy build.

The prototype Mather stock single deck GN stock cars assigned to series 55000 to 55199 were leased from The Mather Stock Car Company.  The Mather Stock Car Company, a U.S. Corporation, headquartered in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, was a leasing company that built and leased  railroad freight cars.  Mather specialized in stock cars; however, built other types of cars as well, including boxcars, refrigerator, gondolas and tank cars over a 75 year period.

Ray Breyer in his presentation “The Mather Freight Car Fleet” states, “Mather bought almost all of their cars from several well-known car builders between 1880 and 1922, with most cars coming from Indiana Car & Foundry, South Baltimore Car Works, St. Charles Car Co., and Haskell & Barker.  The company did build up to 200 of their own stock cars at their plant near the Chicago Union Stockyards before 1921.  In 1922 Mather moved to a new facility in Chicago Ridge, Illinois,  as they had been buying steel-framed cars since 1913.  The Chicago Ridge plant built over 4,000 cars for the company, and continued as a NACC repair and rebuild facility after 1956, not closing until the 1970s.”

Great Northern Stock Car 55171
Internet Image
(Click on this or any image to enlarge)

The plastic kits, purchased in 2016, are accurate for the GN Mather stock car they are lettered for as you can see when you compare them to the prototype in the photo above.

Proto 200 GN Mather Stock Car 55102

When looking at the photo you also see one problem with the Proto 2000 GN models.  The one problem is the openings between the side boards on the side of the car next to the reporting marks and number are molded closed rather open.  Before addressing this problem I chose to proceed the start of these builds installing the end panels.

The kit contains end panels (in the kit called bulkheads) that can be attached to the inside of the car body to fill the openings between boards on the ends.  The panels are provided to fill the end openings for cars that did not have them.  Looking at the GN end in the photo it appears the ends of the GN stock cars did not have the opening so I installed the kit panels. 

End panels held with clamps being installed.

Once end panels were installed as on other builds I started on the underbody.  On the underbody the coupler pads and truck king pins were drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws.  Kadee #262 coupler pockets with Kadee #148 couplers inserted were installed with Fastenal 2-56 x 3/16 inch screws.  A coupler pocket shim cut the shape of the coupler pocket box from .030 Evergreen sheet styrene in the bits box was installed under each coupler pocket to obtain proper coupler height.  Kit trucks with InterMountain 33 inch metal wheel sets inserted were installed with 2-56 x 1/4 inch Fastenal screws.  Install of brake components continued as follows:

• Air reservoir, Tichy Train Group (Tichy)  #3013 AB set
• AB valve, resin Sunshine Models
• Brake cylinder, unknown from spare parts
• Brake cylinder piston, Tichy set #3013
• Brake levers, kit, cut from molded piping and brake rods
• Brake lever hangers, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
• Brake cylinder chain, Precision Scale #48553, 34 links per inch
• Bell crank with chain, kit
• Brake rods, Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW
• Brake rod clevises, made with MEK Goop

Underbody work done not including piping.

Wanting a break from the underbody, I did not install the piping at this time.  I moved to the sides where  I removed the molded material in the problem area between the boards.  I inserted a wood block inside the car to prevent flexing or breaking with cutting out the molded plastic with a single edge razor blade, scalpel, broach, dental pick and tooth brush to create the openings between the boards to match the prototype.

Tools used to create openings between boards.

Opening between boards made.

Now the kit car weight was installed with Permatex Clear Silicone adhesive followed by the kit car inside floor and two stick on tire weights to bring the car weight to 3.8 ounces.  Once car weights were installed the kit roof roof was installed using MEK for adhesive.  The install of kit running boards followed.

Roof installed.

Now I returned to the underbody and installed the piping.  The piping from the air reservoir to the AB valve was done with Tichy #1101, .010 diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW).   The pipe from the back of the brake cylinder to the AB valve was bent from Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW and installed.  A dirt collector pipe cut from a plastic brake rod in kit was bent and connected to molded on train line.   MEK Goop was used to make dirt collector parts on the plastic installed pipe.

Brake system piping installed.

With the underbody completed, the work on the B end was done.   Parts on the B end installed were as follows except for brake step (brake platform) installed later:

• Retainer valve, kit on GN 550102
• Retainer valve, Tichy set #3013, on GN 55034
• Retainer line, Tichy #1100, .008 diameter PBW
• Retainer line bracket, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
• Brake housing, kit
• Brake rod, Tichy #1102 PBW
• Brake rod clevis to attach to bell crank, Tichy turnbuckle, #8021
• Brake wheel, kit
• Brake step (platform), Plano Model Products set  #11322 Morton Pattern
• Grab irons, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
• Ladder rungs, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW

Work on B end started.

After install of the grab irons and ladder rungs on the ends, I did the same on the sides.  On the side upper door guides provided in kit were installed.  I replaced the plastic kit lower door chain rod (guide) with one bent from Tichy #1114, .020 diameter PBW.  A chain from door to door chain rod carrier was added later.

Grab irons, ladder rungs and door chain rod installed.

Now sill steps provided in the kit were installed.  And to finish the install of grab irons, the roof grab irons were installed.  The roof grab irons were bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW with Yarmouth Model Work etched eye bolts without shoulder used for corner leg.

Sill steps and roof grab irons installed.

Next the kit doors were installed followed by the install of chain from the door to the chain rod carrier below the door.  The chain was cut off the kit brake rod.   Back to the B end to install the Plano Model Products brake step with brackets cut from Evergreen #8202, 1 x 2 strip styrene.  And, uncoupling levers bent from Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW with eye bolt brackets cut from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW were installed.

Doors, B end brake step and uncoupling levers installed.

Mather GN stock cars 55034 and 55102 were now moved to the paint shop.  All installed parts were hand painted with Vallejo Model Color Cavalry Brown 70.982  and Vallejo Satin Varnish 70.522.  After hand painted parts dried, both stock cars were airbrushed with Vallejo Matt Varnish 70.52.  Again when Matt finish dry, the cars were airbrushed with Model Master Acryl  Flat Cear 4636.

GN stock cars 55034 and 55102 were removed from the paint shop and let sit for several days before weathering.  The weathering of the GN stock cars was done with Pan Pastels applied with makeup brushes and AK Weathering pencils, Dirt & Marks set, AK10044, as follows:

• Pencil, various boards, Dust/Rainmarks AK1006
• Pencil, bottom boards and braces, Streakig Dirt AK 1003
• Pan Pastel, Raw Umber 780.5, on bottom areas over AK Streaking Dirt
• Pan Pastel, Neutral Grey Extra Dark 820.2, roof
• Pan Pastel, Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1, roof
• Pan Pastel, Red Iron Oxide Extra Dark 380.1, applied lightly with micro brush over lettering

GN Stock Cars 55034 and 55102 weathered.

GN Stock Car 55034 weathered.

GN Stock Car 55102 weathered.

GN Stock Cars 55034 and 55102 weathered.

GN Stock Cars 55034 and 55102 weathered.

Great Northern stock cars 55034 and 55102 were ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for each, the final step to put the a car in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.

GN Stock Cars to be spotted at Swift stock pens.

GN Stock Cars to be spotted at Swift stock pens.

GN Stock Cars to be spotted at Swift stock pens.

GN Stock Cars to be spotted at Swift stock pens.

Not only did the GN Stock cars get built, a Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company leased Mather stock car 6048 got built as well.  One less car in the to-build cabinet.

Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company
leased Mather stock car 6048.

Thank You for taking time to read my blog.  You can share a comment in the section below if you choose to do so.  Please sign your comment with your name if you choose to leave one.  All comments are reviewed and approved before they appear.  Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.

Lester Breuer

.