From the ScaleTrains email blast and apparently this weekend's Rocky Mountain Train Show:
Our “cool” all-new freight car is the Rivet Counter HO Scale Trinity 82’ 7883 Reefer with three (3) HVAC unit types available for BNSF Railway, the largest operator of this unique car. We’re offering both sound and non-sound versions, with 24 total road numbers available. Sound versions also feature an operating LED-lighted control panel for the first time in HO Scale.
HISTORY
In the early days of America's railroads, perishable goods were loaded into boxcars and packed with ice and straw or sawdust for insulation. However, this method was not very successful for long hauls. It wasn't until the introduction of ice bunker refrigerator cars, also known as reefers, that perishable traffic took off. These reefers had ice bunkers at each end of the car, which used combinations of ice blocks up to 300 pounds each, chipped ice, and salt to cool the perishable load in the center of the car. Advances in mechanical refrigeration in the 1950s eventually led to diesel engines powering mechanical refrigeration units built into the ends of the cars, replacing ice reefers.
Reefers posed two main problems for railroad companies. Perishable goods are lightweight, but the ice bunkers or mechanical reefer units took up considerable space. Additionally, the wooden or steel box needed insulation to make the refrigeration work properly. As a result, the standard boxcar had a larger capacity than the reefer.
In 2001, BNSF Railway turned to Trinity for a modern reefer. Trinity built 810 reefers in the first group and another in 2003 with both groups measuring 82’ long and 17’ tall. Another 250 were built for JR Simplot with JRSX reporting marks. These modern reefers handle commodities like meat, vegetables, fruits, and frozen food. In addition to these specific usages, these unique reefers can be found in almost any BNSF manifest train as well as on any of the major railroads in the United States.
THE MODEL
The new ScaleTrains™ Rivet Counter HO Scale Trinity 82’ 7883 Reefer model captures the railroad, road number, and era-specific features of the prototype – such as smooth or ribbed rooflines, refrigeration unit and fuel tank variations, two side door types, intricate underbody detail, and much more. We’re also offering sound and light equipped versions with track powered super capacitors.
HVAC versions include:
BNSF/Carrier HVAC
BNSF/Early Thermo King HVAC
BNSF/Late Thermo King HVAC
Preorders are due by Monday, April 24th so click the button below to preorder your favorite reefer road numbers now for delivery this winter.
