Athearn 57' Mech Reefer

[crrcoal]

I see these are out now; could someone advise if they are foobs or correct and which ones would be seen 60s/70's in the Northeast? Thank you!

[Spades]

http://www.spookshow.net/freight/athearn57reef.html

They are models based on a prototype.

[crrcoal]

Ok thank you Spades!

[jpwisc]

Is this run sound equipped?

[Mark5]

There are two versions IIRC

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Each FGE car was road specific and came sound equipped or regular. The sound in these is something akin to a soft mechanical buzz and the occasional diesel engine chug.

Fruit Growers Express started building these in 1970 for their own road in their iconic reefer yellow paint. By the mid 80's, this gave way to the "Solid Cold" 3D graphic logo. These lasted right up until 2001/2002 when they were sold (primary to BNSF and UP) to be reshopped with Carrier or Thermo King end units in the now gutted mechanical bulkhead. These cars remain in service.

FGE is now owned by CSX, but had close ties to ALL their previous railroads. FGE reefers were used in South-north shipping to east coast cities.

Western Fruit Express was a joint venture between BN and FGE. The WFE/BN card were made a little later if I recall - mid 70's? They were often pooled with PFE cars going east but I don't recall them with Santa Fe cars at all.

I just noticed that these cars had 100T trucks. Did the PFE reefers have these as well?

[nkalanaga]

The older MDC/Athearn cars are close, if not exact, for the newer WFE/GN and first WFE/BN cars, so would fit your era.  The old ConCor 57 ft car isn't bad for NP and earlier WFE/GN cars, but would likely be very hard to find.   

[jmlaboda]

Western Fruit Express was a joint venture between BN and FGE.

Ah, no.  Western Fruit Express dates back way before BN was thought of, being a subsidiary of FGE several decades earlier.  It was a way to provide cars for specific partners in competition with Pacific Fruit Express which by and large was SP/UP owned.

[OldEastRR]

Ah, no.  Western Fruit Express dates back way before BN was thought of, being a subsidiary of FGE several decades earlier.  It was a way to provide cars for specific partners in competition with Pacific Fruit Express which by and large was SP/UP owned.

Burlington Refrigerator Express (BREX) was also part of this team, starting in the 20's I believe. This gives me an excuse to have a few BREX wooden reefers (they are very nice-looking) running around on my NH layout.

[Spikre]

 
   GN started WFE about 1921, but still kept some
   cars as GN Express,maybe for the Cherry Rush ?
   CB&Q had BREX join  the FGE Pool about 1926.
   FW&D, C&S joined FGE later,sometime after 1929,
   but before 1935,1932 seems to be possible.
      Spikre
     

[nkalanaga]

WFE wasn't a subsidiary of FGE, but wholly owned by the GN, from its founding in 1920.  It, BREX and FGE pooled their equipment, with car management provided by FGE.

[Spikre]

 
  N,
   WFE and BREX were Equal Partners in FGE with FGE sort
   of running the show and assigning the cars for the customers.
   it was sort of Complex,but the 3 companies were known as
   "Our Companies".
   this was different from Members of FGE like Southern,N&W,
  C&O,ACL,SAL,RF&P,NH,PRR,NYO&W,etc.
   a very complicated arrangement that worked well for the roads
  involved.
   seems that Pere Marquette was the last road to join FGE about 1939.
   Spikre
     

[nkalanaga]

Spikre:  That's more or less what my source (Four Ways West's GN Equipment Pictorial, vol 3) says, but in different terms.  The GN and CB&Q owned the WFE and BREX, respectively, but everything was operated by, and coordinated with, FGE.  We actually saw relatively few FGE cars in Pasco, mostly WFE and NP, which wasn't part of the combined group.  Both WFE and NP cars ended up in BN's BNFE, so I have no idea what happened to the WFE/BREX/FGE alliance in the mid 70s.

They tended to operate the three groups in their own regions, although the cars could go anywhere.  FGE was primarily East Coast, although the WP was a member, BREX handled the Midwest, and WFEX the Northwest.  Apparently they largely left the Southwest and California to PFE and whatever the Santa Fe called theirs.  I wonder if the WP joined as a technicality, to allow the WFE cars easier access to California?

[loyalton]

I wonder if the WP joined as a technicality, to allow the WFE cars easier access to California?

WP jumped from PFE apparently because that combine required WP to convert their cars in the fleet to steel cars. Therefore I blame PFE for that older foobie WP steel reefer. 

[nkalanaga]

Loyalton:  Thank you.  WFE also kept some of their wood-sheathed cars to the end, and a few actually received BN paint.  Part of that was practicality - wood doesn't rust from the salt used to get lower temperatures.