2000 PFE R-40-26 Ice Bunker Refrigerator Car were built in 1951-52 mostly at the PFE Los Angeles car shop. These were the first plug door mass production cars for PFE. They lasted into the 1970's. See Tony Thompson's massive Pacific Fruit Express volume pages 182-186 for more detailed information on the use and service life of these cars.
This model represents a brand new PFE R-40-26 in 1951-52 the first months of it's service life. The model is a bash of the Accurail plug door refrigerator car which has reasonably accurate roof and ends. The ends and sides are separate moldings that attach to a box structure. I did not attach the sides and ends until I was done with modifications, painting and decaling. Note that I consider this model to be a “2 foot” viewing distance model rather than an exact replica.
Modifications
Side Modifications:
Removed placard boards from sides and created new boards from sheet plastic and attached in correct locations.
Cutout side sills to match prototype and added shaft housing for precooling fans and control box. The model has the cutouts for this version indicated in the full length sill.
Added Preco Electric Fan Medallions
Removed and replaced grab irons but not ladder which was too difficult for me.
Bent new sill steps to approximate PFE R-40-26 prototype from flat brass shapes. The sill step is unusual on this car and is inset a bit.
Left Hand door stops added to both sides (bits of U shape plastic channel)
End and Roof Modifications
A and B end replaced cast on grab upper irons.
B end added retainer valve and pipe.
B end replaced brake valve with Kadee Miner wheel
B end replaced brake platform with Plano refrigerator car set platform
Roof added corner hand rails using Tichy parts
Roof replaced roof running board casting with etched Plano Morton running board
A and B end added running board end supports from bent DA 2524 flat brass
Floor Underframe
The Accurail underframe was retained but thecoupler boxes were cut off and replaced with Kadee 158's in narrow boxes with uncoupler trip pins removed.
Air hoses were added from Accurail and Moloco parts
The reservoir and AB valve are Tichy parts with .010 plastic rod used as pipes
The Accurail brake cylinder and rodding slightly modified to approximate PFE rigging.
Paint
The original Accurail kit I started with were lettered for RATH meat packing. The lettering and paint were stripped as the orange was not close to the PFE color using Testors ELO. The separate sides made this easier than if the car was a single casting.
I do not use an air brush if I can avoid it any more (long story) so I rely on brush painting with Vallejo Model Color acrylics which level very well eliminating visible brush strokes. I have tried many different formulas to emulate the wavelength of PB Star Brand Daylight Orange. My current formula for brushing
3 drops 70.910 Orange Red
2 drops 70.911 Light Orange
1 drop 70.824 Orange Ocher
1-2 drops 71.261 Airbrush Thinner
PFE orange appears different depending on the strength and angle of daylight and the way individuals perceive the color. What you see is my interpretation.
The Accurail roof color was fairly close to the SP FCR used by PFE. The running board and roof and were however covered over with Vallejo 7.814 Burnt Red.
The underframe and floor were painted with Vallejo 70.995 German Grey. Nothing on a railroad in true life is really that black a month after it is out of the paint shop.
Trucks
This past year (2023) Moloco released a series of new freight car trucks including plain bearing types that are usable for steam era modelers. After closely looking at photos from Ted Culotta's website and articles on PFE cars I was able to determine that the new Moloco Moloco TRK3 50T Ride Control truck that I fortunately had on hand were a match. Serendipity, as I hadn't planned for this use when I bought the Moloco trucks. Semi scale wheels have been used. These TRK3 trucks match the trucks in the photo of PFE R-40-26 9426 Ted Culotta's published in one of his PFE presentations and the specifications for the R-40-26 appliances published by Dick Harley.
Decals
These were a real problem. After a lot of messages on the espee.groups.io forum, it was determined that the Microscale set 87-501 1950's PFE Ice Cars, that Microscale itself was selling and I purchased on their website was an older version rather than the Dick Harley 2013 revised set, I was given a partially used set of the revised version with enough PFE R-40-26 specific decals to finish this project. I understand Microscale is in the process of fixing this problem.
The initial problem with whitening of the decal after decal setting was resolved by a tip from Dick Harley to use a drop of Windex to eliminate the problem.
Thanks to Dick Harley for help with the decal problems. Ted Culotta is planning to release a PFE R-40-26 side ladder etch kit at some time this year (2023) through his Speedwitch Media and new decals for the PFE R-40-26 through National Scale Car (NSC). This model was built between February and June 2023. Tony Thompson's PFE book is the major source of information on the design and building of the prototype R-40-26.
I am not including prototype photos due to copywrite considerations.
This is the end result
Just will take a long time to get to that with many other layout and equipment projects ahead of visiting the PFE R-40-26 again.
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