57' Mechanical Reefer - Green Bay & Western 11216

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MODEL FEATURES:

Fully assembled and ready for your layout
Razor sharp printing and painting
Weighted for optimum performance
Body mounted McHenry scale knuckle spring couplers installed
Machined 33” metal wheels
McHenry operating scale knuckle couplers
Window packaging for easy viewing
Interior plastic blister safely holds the model for convenient storage
Minimum radius: 10”

PROTOTYPE HISTORY:

Pacific Car and Foundry responded to the railroad’s migration from ice stored in bunkers as a primary cooling system to the diesel mechanical systems. The mechanical reefers could keep a more regular temperature, often times colder then what the ice bunker cars could at the time. Initially mechanical reefers were used primarily in frozen food service. This would soon change as mechanical refrigeration began to replace ice-based systems. Soon after, mechanical refrigeration units replaced the “armies” of personnel required to re-ice the cars. Several different deliveries of the PC&F 57’ mechanical to many different railroads in the mid to late 1960s. Many have been rebuilt and are still in service today.

Bangor and Aroostook often leased it’s reefer fleet to Pacific Fruit Express in the off season for the railroad. This turned out to be a peak season for PFE in California.

Green Bay and Western purchased several classes of 57’ Mechanicals from the BAR. Many were hastily patched and put into service. The GB&W cars were often seen on the North Western Pacific in California carrying butter from the Humbolt Bay to eastern markets. http://www.greenbayroute.com/orerdetail.htm#GBW11100RPL