Reconditioned PFE car, Part 2: model

From 1935 to 1941 or so, Pacific Fruit Express “reconditioned” (that is, minimally upgraded and repaired) more than 7600 older cars with 30-ton underframes (and a few 40-tonners). They were classed R-30-9 (or R-40-9) when completed. I gave some background on these cars in the preceding post (you can consult it at: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-pfe-reconditioned-wood-cars.html ).

I am building a Red Caboose kit for one of these cars, as I mentioned toward the end of that previous post. Most of my kit assembly is according to the kit directions, so I won’t go into it here, and nearly all of the kit details are fine. An important and quite visible exception is the ice hatch arrangement, which is what I showed in that previous post, with wood hatch covers and  replacement hatch cover hinge supports and striker bars.

To continue: one thing I do with models of most house cars: insert weights inside. I usually use 5/8-11 steel nuts. Together, these weigh about two and a half ounces. I attach them with canopy glue, which has proven itself over the years to provide a secure and dependable attachment of these heavy objects inside models. In this photo, you can see that I’ve added the side and end details.

I would just note that these nuts cost 69 cents each at my local hardware store, $1.38 together. Comparable stick-on commercial weights, for the same amount of weight, cost about $5.00, and I have had the stick-on adhesive fail in some cases. Canopy glue has never failed in my models.

Once that is done,  I proceeded with the underframe. The kit supplies a K brake system, which in fact most of the Class R-30-9 cars, when reconditioned, did retain from their original construction. Many of these cars were rebuilt again in 1949–1950, and at that time some cars were upgraded to AB brakes. But since so many photos from the early 1950s do show K brakes, I decided to apply that system to this car.

Second choice to be made is couplers. As is my practice, I substituted Kadee whisker couplers in the kit coupler box, but I drilled out and tapped the box 2-56. The view below shows the completed underframe and floor, attached to the car body, and with the Kadee couplers installed (the brass screw heads will of course be painted). Sill steps remain to be installed. Usually I do not add the drain chutes, which are all but invisible.

The third point to consider is trucks. The kit supplies T-section trucks, a type very commonly retained on reconditioned Class R-30-9 cars; but the Red Caboose version of these trucks is simply sub-standard. I replaced them with a pair of Kadee “HGC” T-section trucks, Kadee part 1572. Again, I tapped the truck screw hole 2-56.

Withe the underframe complete and attached to the car body, I needed to choose a car number. I felt it should be well under PFE 95736, after which all reconditioned cars were given steel hatches, and not too close to the original car, PFE 91022, as the earliest cars kept ice hatch platforms. I chose PFE 93461. Here is the re-lettered model, ready for weathering.

Since the paint scheme of the model is one that was in use from 1946–48, by my modeling year of 1953, it might be fairly dirty — keeping in mind that PFE did wash its cars frequently in this period. I also wanted to include the appearance of a workman having wiped the dirt from the car number for better visibility. Weathering was done with my usual acrylic wash technique (see link to “Reference pages” at upper right corner of this post).

Note above that I have also added chalk marks and route cards to the car.

This concludes work on this model, another addition to my considerable fleet of PFE cars. And with six shippers on my layout who use reefers, they are all useful in layout operating sessions!

Tony Thompson