It’s Reefer Monday

Lionel

Just another old reefer hauling meat

As the nation emerged from the depression, family funds were once again available for discretionary items, like toys.  Lionel and American Flyer had been having success in the "scale" market, so Marx decided to move in that direction as well.  During 1940, 41 and early 42 Marx developed his "scale trains".  These were unusual in that the scale was 3/16" to the ft or "S" scale however the gauge remained 0 gauge.  Marx was ready to launch in 1942 but the war modified his plans.  He could not make the die cast 999 engine he had likely decided to use with this line due to wartime restrictions so substituted sheet metal engines instead.  In 1942 one of the first pieces of rolling stock available for the "scale line" was the PFE reefer and it was offered in both train sets for 1942.  Following that all toy production stopped until after the war.

Best wishes for Memorial Day and may God bless those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice and their families

Don

another Pittsburgh brewery special from MTH years ago

walt

Local reefer activity was brisk this week stocking up retailers with popular brands...

Not sure if this one has put in an appearance yet.  It is a special run Red Caboose for the 2004 National O Scale Convention, and apparently FGEX did have a group of reefers with silver roofs.

Another Pittsburgh favorite.

@DOC is that one of your creations?

= walt

It’s Reefer Monday June 3 2024!!

Let’s see your reefers! Please post per the Forum guidelines.
I have two reefers today; the first is an MTH special run for The Train Loft.
Goebels Beer

The second is a Weaver provided by Forum member Donnie Kenned. Thanks Donnie.
it’s an Old Heidelberg reefer

K-Line, opening doors, sprung trucks, separately applied grabs and ladders.

I'm cheating posting this again after just getting them last week but this FX Matt car is easy on the eyes. I am on the fence as to whether I should weather it or not. Another great special run from JR Junction Hobby Shop in Syracuse.

This is another MTH special dealing with Pittsburgh Brewery.  This car was (I say 'was' because I sold off my entire collection a few years back) really cool.  As the picture shows, when I pressed a button to activate the action, the doors open, a wisp of smoke (simulating a cold environment inside the car which can be seen in the picture) gets produced, and a man emerges pushing a crate of beer cars which he 'dumps' on a ramp for deposit on the layout.

walt

A second vote for the Matt's refers from JR Junction. great looking cars. I bought both.....

Adding to my collection of Despatch refers

Bob

Here is a "modern" Marx MKT reefer from the 1990's.  Colorful lithograph and Marx "scale" trucks + "pickle fork" couplers.

Happy Monday

Don

Got a few new ones this week

Here we back to Monday; so it’s Reefer Monday. Let’s see your Reefers. Please observe OGR Forum rules when you are posting.
I have two reefers this week. They were produced by the NJ Hi-Railers. Up first is Piels Bros  Which was brewed in Brooklyn; where I spent the first 70 years of my life.

The second one is from a Staten Island brewery; Rumsam and Horrmann  

K-Line - opening doors, sprung trucks, separately applied grabs and ladders.

@walt rapp posted:

@DOC is that one of your creations?

= walt

I can answer for him -- yes, that is a 1 of 1 custom.  It is going to get a lot of attention when he runs it at shows.

Andy

Thanks Andy. It looked like it should be one of his.

= walt

Another PFE reefer

@pennsyfan - Bob the Piels reefer is a great one, never seen that before.  I remember the "Bert and Harry" advertising campaign and I loved those characters.

Today I have another Marx reefer, this one from the original Marx company in about 1955.  It is one of Marx's "deluxe" cars, although he never used that name its a collectors title, but it stands for his series of cars with extra features, like 8 wheel, automatic couplers on both ends, and sliding doors.  Its a fairly common livery, the #43461 PFE reefer from the SP railroad.

A before and after photo of a Central Railroad of New Jersey refer weathered by my son Chris.

@pennsyfan posted:

Here we back to Monday; so it’s Reefer Monday. Let’s see your Reefers. Please observe OGR Forum rules when you are posting.
I have two reefers this week. They were produced by the NJ Hi-Railers. Up first is Piels Bros  Which was brewed in Brooklyn; where I spent the first 70 years of my life.

Well Bob and Ray need something to go with that cold, frosty Piels (extra credit if you get the character reference!!!) - this one is from the crew at NLOE…

@Apples55 posted:

Well Bob and Ray need something to go with that cold, frosty Piels (extra credit if you get the character reference!!!) - this one is from the crew at NLOE…

Weren’t they radio guys?

This is an Atlas 52 foot Express Refer that I acquired last winter.

Here is a nicely weathered Wison Lines at the Fox River Trolly Musicum.

This refer brings back memories of growing up in Western Pennsylvania. I listened to Cordic and Compsny every morning before going off to school.

@pennsyfan posted:

Weren’t they radio guys?

Give that man a Yuengling!!! They were a legendary radio comedy team - Bob Elliot and Ray Goulding. They were the voices of Bert and Harry Piels in the commercials.

@Apples55 - Oh man, its neat to know who the real people behind Bert and Harry were...never knew that, but always liked the Piels pair.

Don

What l understand is, that the pool of possible authentic historical, prototypical reefers has not been exhausted, and there ought to be photos somewhere, for everybody's region.

It’s Reefer Monday! Let’s see your reefers. Please observe the fourm rules when posting. For this week I have another custom run from the NjHR. It’s Trommer’s White Label.
I was remiss in not mentioning in my post on 5/7, https://ogrforum.com/...0#184156761487686450 that the Jacob Ruppert car was a  custom run of NJHR  

Not sure this counts: NYC reefer trailer on a Flexi-Van car.  These were part of a coast-to-coast produce service in the early 1960s.

@Bruce Clouette posted:

Not sure this counts: NYC reefer trailer on a Flexi-Van car.  These were part of a coast-to-coast produce service in the early 1960s.

Absolutely!

another one from MTH

- walt

Although differing from her streamlined 6 3/4 " sisters, Hafner made several types of smaller streamlined 5 5/16" cars both before and after the war.  These are considered much more compact and realistic in size when compared with Hafner's locomotives.  This unnumbered beauty is one of the smaller cars, although the date of manufacture is not available in any reference I have.  However, Hafner trains was sold to "The All Metal Products Company" maker of Wyandott toys in 1951 but then that company went bankrupt in 1956 which would clearly date these cars as early as 1950's but I am sure that "left over" stock was sold until it ran out.

Happy Monday, hope your week goes well

Best Wishes

Don

Here’s some refers parked around my Brewery.

Here's the Brewer's Limited on the Free State Junction Railway.  Nothing like an ice cold brew on a hot humid day!  

Lionel via the CLRC

I know - you are thinking Ron is showing his Lionel Stroh's again.  Well, I just like the car plus Stroh's is what helped get my wife through college (she's a Detroiter).

A few from my roster…