The fourth model to join the ScaleTrains S-Helper Service lineup is a 41-foot wood refrigerator car. The model, based on an American Car & Foundry prototype from the 1920s, features plastic construction; factory-installed and painted wire grab irons; and sprung, die-cast metal trucks.
Prototype history
The review sample we received is decorated as Santa Fe Refrigerator Department No. 23949, part of the 23451 through 23950 series built in 1927 by ACF. The full-size car was part of the RR-5 class. In addition to the 500 cars built by ACF, the class included 400 cars built by Pullman and numbered 23951 through 24350.
Refrigerator cars from the RR-5 class were rebuilt in 1950 and 1951 and reassigned to the RR-49 (11432 through 11931) and RR-50 (11932 through 12421) classes. Among the upgrades were steel sides, 3/4 improved Dreadnaught ends, and metal running boards. The rebuilt cars stayed in service into the mid-1970s.
For additional information, check out Santa Fe Railway Rolling Stock Reference Series — Vol. 2: Refrigerator Cars, Ice Bunker Cars 1884-1979 by C. Keith Jordan, Richard H. Hendrickson, John B. Moore, and A. Dean Hale (The Santa Fe Modelers Organization, 1994).
Model features
The ScaleTrains model features a one-piece plastic body with a separate roof. Formed metal was used for the grab irons, ladder rungs, and stirrup steps. The freestanding details are painted black and mineral brown as appropriate. Molded body details include the door hardware, ladder stiles, and poling pockets.
Freestanding plastic placard boards are attached to both ends of the car. The B, or brake, end of the car also has a factory-installed brake platform and a metal vertical brake staff topped with a plastic brake wheel.
The simulated wood roof is a separate plastic casting with a factory-applied running board casting and positionable hatch covers. An unpainted metal weight, secured with screws, is visible inside the car. Wire grab irons are located on the corners above the ladders. The molded fastener detail near the mounting holes is a nice touch.
Underneath, the car has molded floor boards with woodgrain detail. The body bolsters, center sills, and crossmembers are a one-piece casting secured with glue and screws.
From the box, the refrigerator car is equipped with American Flyer-style plastic couplers and sprung, die-cast metal solid-bearing trucks. Four pins at the rear of the shank hold the bolster in place, allowing the coupler to pivot with the truck, similar to a truck-mounted coupler. The trucks are held in place with a self-tapping, ring-head screw.
The refrigerator car, like other ScaleTrains S gauge offerings, includes scale code 110 wheelsets, Kadee-compatible scale couplers, and mounting hardware. Coupler mounting pads with four screw-starter holes are molded as part of the underbody.
The refrigerator car features a plastic K brake system. Details include the brake cylinder, reservoir, and triple valve; levers; brake rods; and partial brake pipe between the crossmembers.
A closer look
The sample we received follows the SFRD paint scheme of the era: yellow-orange (sides), mineral brown (roof and ends), and black (underbody and trucks). The lettering placement is similar to prototype photos in the aforementioned book.
Detail placement varies between the model and full-size SFRD cars. The model has two grab irons by the road number and capacity data, but the prototype had one. The placard boards on the end of the model should be moved to the car sides (left of the doors) and painted black. The model has three angle brackets where the sides meet the ends; the full-size RR-5 cars had W-profile steel corner posts.
Some dimensional data for the 23451 through 23950 series of RR-5 reefers was included in The Santa Fe Modelers Organization book. The car length and height are within scale inches of published dimensions. The door height is accurate, but the width is around a foot too narrow. The ready-to-run car weighs 6.3 ounces.
It has been around a quarter century since this model debuted under the S-Helper Service banner. Kudos to ScaleTrains for making the 41-foot wood reefer available again. Whether you get a factory-decorated model, or decide to make your own car using a painted but unlettered offering, the refrigerator car will add some cool factor to your rolling stock fleet.
See our previous reviews of the ScaleTrains S gauge caboose, 40-foot boxcar, and two-bay hopper elsewhere on our website.
ScaleTrains S gauge wood reefer
MSRP: $59.99
Features: American Flyer-compatible wheels and couplers; detailed brake system; fish-belly underframe; injection-molded plastic body; metal grab irons and ladder rungs; positionable roof hatches; scale code 110 wheels and Kadee-compatible scale couplers included; and sprung, die-cast metal solid-bearing trucks with metal wheelsets. Minimum radius, 20”.
Road names: Santa Fe Refrigerator Department (SHS75168 through SHS75173), American Refrigerator Transit Co. (SHS75156 through SHS75158), Bangor & Aroostook (SHS75159 through SHS75161), Fruit Growers Express (SHS75162 through SHS75167), Union Refrigerator Dispatch with Milwaukee Road herald (SHS75174 through SHS75176), and Western Refrigerator Line with Green Bay & Western herald (SHS75177 through SHS75179). Three to six road numbers per paint scheme; also available painted orange (SHS75181) and yellow (SHS75180) but unlettered.
Website: scaletrains.com/s-scale.html
