Looking for: PFE express reefer decals

I think protocraft has them...

sorry they don't. already checked.

IIRC the OD-19 Express Reefer set can be made into what you desire with some work.

2 sets makes it easier as you require two "T"'s plus you have to modify it for "Pacific" and "Fruit" since some of the letters are only there once or not at all. An "E" can easily be made into an "F" etc.

Check Clover House and CDS dry transfers

If you do the kit Berkshire Valley made a casting of the fan exit on the lower side.  When I built a lot of the Intermountain cars I would drill out the hole and put the casting in.  It really added to the car.

Come to think of it I think Intermountain did this paint scheme when they made the cars.

yes IM did this car. however I have another undec car I was looking to paint & decal.

Just curious- that car going into a PRR consist???

Bob, yes it will be. I run a mail/express train from time to time. Mostly PRR & REX in the consist.

Chris,

Check with P&D Hobby Shop in Fraser,MI., they still list Champ O Scale PFE decals CDR-190 and CDR-061, open daily (10AM-8PM) EST, telephone 586-296-6116, prices seam to be origional Champ pricing.

John

Dear Chris,

Bernie Winkler has a set for sale right now on the OGR forum for sale. John

Chris,

Just for clarification, the lettering should be gold, right?

Jay

PRR Man posted:

Bob, yes it will be. I run a mail/express train from time to time. Mostly PRR & REX in the consist.

Was just curious.  As a PRR modeler I admittedly don't know much about Pennsy mail/express trains or what's in the consist.

Jay

BR-10 steel express reefers we're lettered with a yellow paint.  It was same color used on post-war dark olive passenger cars.  Norm has a set of baggage car decals that have the right color.  The correct color was developed by the SPH&TS with Microscale.  

Gene

Here is a sample set taken from the Protocraft online catalog.  This is the only correct color offered in O.  Sadly, the Express reefer sets are not available in the color.

Gene

Gene,

Yeah, I kind knew that but I wanted the opinion of the guy looking for them.  He never replied so I moved on.  Did Rick Leach do some of these?  Is that where NB got the artwork?

Jay

Did Champ make a set that's the correct color.....or even close?

Jay

Jay,

Champ had the Pacific Fruit Express Reefer, XR-11, in Dulux Gold lettering.

Jay

Leach never did the PFE or SP express lettering.  I think Norm did all of the art.  He has a huge fleet of equipment to letter.

Gene

John Ochab posted:

Jay,

Champ had the Pacific Fruit Express Reefer, XR-11, in Dulux Gold lettering.

 

I have a set on the buy sell . XR-11

Scratchbuilder1-48 posted:

John Ochab posted:

Jay,

Champ had the Pacific Fruit Express Reefer, XR-11, in Dulux Gold lettering.

 

I have a set on the buy sell . XR-11

Is that set for the 50' wood side express reefer? Not sure the lettering will work for him if it is.

Referring back to the Champ lettering guide and the black and white BR-40-10 car picture shown above, the Southern Pacific Pacific Fruit Express Reefer, steel side boxcar,OB-340, seams to match the pictured car. This SP express reefer is Pullman green, with black truck and underbody, Dulux Gold Lettering.

Any of you Espee/UP guys - how far/wide did PFE express reefers (like the R40- pictured)  interchange and what was their purpose over standard PFE reefers?

I do have the PFE book, just not here at my other house so please excuse any ignorance.

Rule292 posted:

Any of you Espee/UP guys - how far/wide did PFE express reefers (like the R40- pictured)  interchange and what was their purpose over standard PFE reefers?

I do have the PFE book, just not here at my other house so please excuse any ignorance.

I'd guess the 40' express reefers carried expensive items like fresh strawberries, fresh fish etc. anywhere on fast connecting trains. In many cases this required cars be equipped with steam lines to pass thru to the passenger cars.

Gentlemen excuse the delay, I am out of state. I appreciate your replies and further details on what’s available. Apparently as bob pointed out the XR-11 is not the set I need, and thanks to Gene I’ll have to rethink my approach. Perhaps using the pictured SP set, albeit with surgery.

I’m thinking the paint color of the car is close to Pullman Green, though the car is described as dark olive. Anyone care to add to that?

Thank you

Looking further at the Protocraft set Gene posted, the lettering is too wide for the PFE car. 

Maybe it’s time to fire up the software and typeset my own

BobbyD posted:

Rule292 posted:

Any of you Espee/UP guys - how far/wide did PFE express reefers (like the R40- pictured)  interchange and what was their purpose over standard PFE reefers?

I do have the PFE book, just not here at my other house so please excuse any ignorance.

I'd guess the 40' express reefers carried expensive items like fresh strawberries, fresh fish etc. anywhere on fast connecting trains. In many cases this required cars be equipped with steam lines to pass thru to the passenger cars.

Wonder what trains the green express R40's ran on or what RRs they interchanged with and for what time period?

Wish i had my PFE book here, I hate asking questions without doing any basic research myself.

PRR Man posted:

Gentlemen excuse the delay, I am out of state. I appreciate your replies and further details on what’s available. Apparently as bob pointed out the XR-11 is not the set I need, and thanks to Gene I’ll have to rethink my approach. Perhaps using the pictured SP set, albeit with surgery.

I’m thinking the paint color of the car is close to Pullman Green, though the car is described as dark olive. Anyone care to add to that?

Thank you

Depends if you are going for SP colors or to match an existing car you have. Also remember that prototype colors in a room look much different than outdoors under the sun.

How close does the Champ OD-19 Express Reefer lettering match what you need?

Have you tried Microscale Industries ?

I think the Champ XR 11 matches all the lettering ,only thing is missing is boxcar size data , but everything else looks like it would work , gold is a hard color to make decals , I make all my own and I have no gold .

Scratchbuilder1-48 posted:

I think the Champ XR 11 matches all the lettering ,only thing is missing is boxcar size data , but everything else looks like it would work , gold is a hard color to make decals , I make all my own and I have no gold .

I bet Champ box car data decals are floating around, whole or partial sets.

Dark Olive is a color the SP used on their passenger equipment well into the 1950s.  It is lighter than Pullman Green.  Star Brand and Tru-Color both sell the correct color.

Here is a modified Intermountain R-40-10.  I added steam and signal lines along with a Miner hand brake set.  The decals were custom printed by Champ using an ALPS printer.

Excellent work Gene. I'll save your photo for reference.

Gene D posted:

Dark Olive is a color the SP used on their passenger equipment well into the 1950s.  It is lighter than Pullman Green.  Star Brand and Tru-Color both sell the correct color.

Here is a modified Intermountain R-40-10.  I added steam and signal lines along with a Miner hand brake set.  The decals were custom printed by Champ using an ALPS printer.

That was a nice deal the girls did prior to closing, reprinting old long out of stock sets for customers.

Chris - If you have a copy of Pacific Fruit Express by Thompson, Church, and Jones (my favorite non-PRR book!)  check out the BR-40-14 pages.   Depending on how far you want to go some additional changes to the IM kit you may want to consider include replacing the wood roof walk with an Apex steel one, adding electric cooling fan drive details, and installing  either Symington-Gould XL or Chrysler FR-5-D trucks.  The S-G XL trucks are particularly distinctive.  Does anyone know if either of these trucks have been done in O scale?   

 Gene's 2nd photo illustrates the improved look of cars equipped with scale detailed couplers and draft gear.  Thanks for posting Gene.

Keystoned Ed posted:

Chris - If you have a copy of Pacific Fruit Express by Thompson, Church, and Jones (my favorite non-PRR book!)  check out the BR-40-14 pages.   Depending on how far you want to go some additional changes to the IM kit you may want to consider include replacing the wood roof walk with an Apex steel one, adding electric cooling fan drive details, and installing  either Symington-Gould XL or Chrysler FR-5-D trucks.  The S-G XL trucks are particularly distinctive.  Does anyone know if either of these trucks have been done in O scale?   

 Gene's 2nd photo illustrates the improved look of cars equipped with scale detailed couplers and draft gear.  Thanks for posting Gene.

I think Bill Davis offers the Chrysler truck in Ow5.

Thanks Ed. I had considered using Bill's Chrysler trucks, and adding those details.

as a bonus, the Chryslers also appeared under the DLW rebuilt steel boxcar mechanical milk car twins, which I've modeled.

I'm surprised Norm doesn't offer these decals...

Gene, what couplers did you place on the car?

Ed

The couplers are the original Clouser brass.

Gene

@PRR Man posted:

"I'm trying to source decals that would have appeared on a Pacific Fruit Express steel express reefer."

"B&W photo of the BR-40-10 car I'm looking for decals of."

Did you ever get what you needed and build one?

Bob;

Yes. I created artwork in InDesign that matched what’s on the IM model. Had Highball Graphics print a few sets.

They have sharp detail,  color is pretty close.

I think I have a few extra.