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!
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| 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
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| Underbody details installed. |
Later the underbody installed parts were hand painted Vallejo Model Color Black #70.950
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Door hinge change started on left side of door. Incorrect car number removed on sides. |
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| 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.
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| Sill tabs work to match prototype. |
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| 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.
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| 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
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Uncoupling levers installed. |
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| 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.
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| Car ready lettering. |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| FGEX 38570 with numbers and rivet lines. |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| FGEX 38570 weathered with Pan Pastels. |
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| 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.
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| FGEX spotted at Kruger's in Minneapolis, Minn. |
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| FGEX spotted at Kruger's in Minneapolis, Minn. |
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| FGEX spotted at Kruger's. |
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| FGEX spotted at Kruger's. |
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| 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.
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Lester Breuer
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