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The last time these beautiful cars were made was in 2012, and they should be made again!

Below is the image from GGD's website of the cars that were previously made (All rights belong to them).
54ft_REA_reefer_media

The above, REA paint schemes could be re-run again as they can be used on any train; maybe there can be new paint schemes that haven't been done before. What other paint schemes would you like to see?

If you agree in getting another run of these cars, please either let Scott know in the comments or shoot him an email!

Best,
Bryce

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The simple dark green version is a great “everyday” choice to have.  It can be used on Any road consist you might have and it will look right at home.   It’s a good car to look out for in the secondary market.

I don’t have the GN car for my GN consist but the simple green version still looks great - works fine.  Cheers 😉

D06645C0-C946-4B86-A5FC-7E6FEA4E4064

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Last edited by TrainBub
@TrainBub posted:

The simple dark green version is a great “everyday” choice to have.  .....

D06645C0-C946-4B86-A5FC-7E6FEA4E4064

This car's Pullman Green color scheme was applied by REA from 1929 to 1953 and is hard to find in 'O' since most 'O' REA cars are painted with the red diamond.  This scheme probably remained on the car for several years after 1953 until it was repainted.

As an FYI, this specific car, the 54' reefer, had this scheme only a few years.  It was originally delivered in 1947 with the silver and green paint scheme depicted in the picture third one down on the right in Bryce's OP.  This paint scheme turned out to be too hard to keep clean and was soon repainted into the REA standard Pullman Green at the time seen above. 

In 1953 all REA cars started to be repainted in Hunter Green (or Japan Navy Green) with the red diamond.  Hunter Green is still a darker green, and the picture on the right, second one down has the correct lettering but the green seems too light to me.  It looks more like the Chromate Green that started appearing after 1961, but by then the markings/lettering was very different.

Since I model the late 1940s, I searched for B&O and GN express car schemes to see what was used for my time frame but did not find anything specific like for the REA.  If anyone has more information on the B&O and GN paint schemes post it here.  Might give Scott some alternatives to the first run. 

I am glad to hear it is not just me who is interested in a re-run of these wonderful cars!

For those who are reading and are on the fence... These are the plastic cars (not brass) and are rated for 0-42 curves! Please see the below, 2012 original listing from GGD (All rights belong to them).

plastic and o-42

Hopefully this thread can get a more folks to concur with all those who commented above to convince Scott to make another run! 

Bryce

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It sure would be nice if the importers would state on the box the years the paint scheme was used on the car.  Especially the companies that stress their "scale" fidelity like Sunset/GGD and Atlas.  Something like "REA (Original 1947-49).  Or maybe just the first year it was used since most cars were not repainted until years after a new paint scheme in introduced.

The B&O Express Blue is an example.  I don't have B&O specific books to look up this one paint scheme to see when it was first applied, and there was nothing specific on the web. 

Also, I am pretty sure the GN scheme above was 50s or maybe even 60s mainly because I found a reference the scheme used in the 40s was solid orange on the top half of the car and solid green on the bottom half.  I have not found a transition date.

Anyway, just a thought.

@rheil posted:

The correct paint schemes for this car are the REA versions - 4 of them. The other roads such as B&O are not prototypical. The REA versions were numbered 6100 - 6499.

The ACL version is also correct for this American Car and Foundry 54' car.  ACL bought 50 of these cars at the same time REA bought theirs (1947), and ACL's wore the purple and silver scheme from the factory.  Unlike the REA paint scheme which started to disappear after 1950, the ACL's scheme lasted into the 60s.

As far as the other paint schemes GGD did on this car, since I don't have the data, I would agree with you.  Unfortunately, in 'O' we have very few options for car body styles compared to the other scales, so I am more concerned about the correct paint scheme for the era I model and get a car as close as possible to the actual one used by the road.  Great American produced a style very similar to the ACL 54' car, although with rivideted sides and not welded like the ACF, that was used by other roads.  Pacific Car and Foundry also built a very simular car, but a bit shorter, which GN bought.  Did the B&O buy any of these similar cars?

Last edited by CAPPilot

I agree about the ACL cars. I recall riding to New York from Baltimore on an ACL train in about 1953. Normally passengers getting on at Baltimore and points north were not permitted to ride the trains from south of DC but the Congressional, which was supposed to leave Baltimore at 7:42, was late and passengers were permitted to ride the train from the south. It had an ACL and an REA express reefers on it. The ACL car was the striped scheme.

I have an actual paint scheme chart from the ACL for this car. It is about 2 X 3 foot.

The B&O did not have anything like this car. What they did have were 50 foot single door baggage cars and troop cars that were made into express cars.

@rheil posted:

What they did have were 50 foot single door baggage cars and troop cars that were made into express cars.

Rebuilt troop cars   I found this in my express car notes from a long time ago.  "Paint schemes also evolved with time. B&O painting specifications for head-end cars called for olive green until 1947, solid blue until 1953, then blue with a gray window stripe. With the C&O merger, many of the cars received C&O’s blue/gray/yellow tri-color scheme. Note that B&O’s head-end cars cycled through the paint shop a bit less frequently than its passenger-carrying cars, and as a consequence might carry a prior paint scheme well beyond the date of the latest paint spec."

I believe there are some rebuilt troop cars in O out there in olive green and solid blue, both usable to me.  Thanks.

I do need another ACL 54' reefer so I hope GGD produces these again.

@rheil posted:

The Baltimore O scale society was responsible for putting together the O scale convention in 2009. As one of our convention cars we sold the Weaver B&O troop baggage car which was correct for the B&O. After the convention we sold the remainder to Just Trains in Delaware. They may still have some left.

Would be nice if u can post pic of that car. 🤔🤔🤔.
The Just Trains website has been a bit dysfunctional for some time. You cant see  inventory. At least I can’t.
2009 is 14 years ago. If interested I’d just call them to see if any of the B&O cars remain. 🤔🤔🤔
*****************
Theres another modest “thread” to check - “REA Logo” from 2014. Just some more info for reference.
*****************    
If you google  
Santa Fe REA #4600  
You can see a nice image - and another car variant with a different door.

Last edited by TrainBub

I think I’d be good for a couple of express reefers, preferably in a somber pre-1953 paint scheme.  I’m currently in Austin, Texas and while the Tinplate Trackers’ modular layouts have the broad curves capable of handling full-length passenger cars, I’m not sure that either a home layout or another city’ club layout would be able to do so. But if they aren’t capable of handling full-length passenger cars, they should be capable of handling express reefers.

@Norman R posted:

If its 1:48 scale and true to a B&O prototype, I’m on board.

I think it was mentioned the B&O did not own this type of car from American Car & Foundry (ACF) (forum member rheil).  They may have had some similar General American (GA) cars.  I know they had converted troop cars they put in express service.

However, in O we don't have a lot of choices.  I am looking for that Baltimore O scale society convention car.  However, it is more important to me that the equipment have the correct paint schemes for my late 40s era.   So, if GGD releases one of these AFC cars in B&O solid blue I will buy it.

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