N scale URTX reefer - it's time

[bbussey]

This is a little less than two years old at this point.
Hopefully I will finish these beer cars before they turn 21!
The Deluxe Innovations boxcar has the correct roof and ends. They just need to get integrated into something that would work as a master.

Cut the roof and ends from the DI donor boxcars (or see if IMRC already has the necessary roof/end components as detail parts); build the core from .040" thick styrene to fit the floor/underframe of your choice; laminate the brass sides to the core; add the roof and ends to the core; and add the plug door rods and defect card holder.  Once you get castings from that master, add the ladders, roofwalk and brake hardware, trucks, couplers, etc.  Think of it as one huge puzzle made up of parts from different puzzles.

[tom mann]

I took these for Dave a few weeks ago.  Location:  East Troy, WI.

[GaryHinshaw]

Everyone knows that there's two different cars in that picture right?

I see 5 different cars.     What's up with the end of the first car in that shot?  Was the exposure tweaked to bring out detail, or is there a new end photo-shopped onto it?

As for the location, John identified the location and thought it was some sort of cold storage warehouse.  That might be a much as you get.  There aren't to many that know more about Minneapolis RR history than John.

Who's John?   

-gfh

P.S. Dave, you really must finish that project.  It was going great for a while.

[sirenwerks]

I am not a URTX expert. I had assumed that the plug door car was a rebuilt from the original swinging door version. Do you know if this correct?

According to an article in the second quarter 1997 issue of The Milwaukee Railroader on the 37000 series URTX steel ice reefers, these cars were delivered in five batches, one each in 1948 and 1951 and three in 1954. Of those, the third and fourth batches (delivered in 1954) - 37975-37999 and 38000-38099 - were built with 6-foot plug doors.

[screeh]

screeh, I'm kinda diggin' that warehouse next to the reefers. Any information or more photos on it?

Sorry, no - it's not my photo, just something I found by doing a search for URTX reporting marks (but I totally agree, it's a nice building!)

Stu

[Philip H]

@ Tom Mann, those are great reference photos - especially the ones with the ACI bar codes in them.  Shows how long these were in revenue service, confirming the original plea that there's be wide interest if it was marketed right.