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Extra Data for Kit 16.0
Pacific Fruit Express R-30/40-9 Reconditioned Wood Reefers

P.F.E. Western Pacific 52273, 1939, Robert McFarland photo, Tony Thompson collection

PFE was rebuilding older reefers through the 1930s. The R-30-9 and R-40-9 cars were upgraded as wood-sheathed cars as a cost saving measure. The cars in this rebuild program were older R-30-11, -12, -13, and -14 cars and R-40-2 cars. These cars retained the original underframes and KC brake systems. Ladders replaced grab irons along with power hand brake wheels and cast side frame trucks. 7,694 refrigerator cars were updated between 1938 and 1940 in this rebuilding program.

Model and photo by Peter Hall

Our kit 16.01 represents the Western Pacific cars. They had about 2,660 R-30-9 class cars in-service to 1952. We recommend Pacific Fruit Express by Thompson, Church, and Jones as an authoritative reference on this historic company.

This reefer kit has a one-piece carbody to ease assembly and includes the following detail parts:

  • Plano Model Products etched ice hatch latch bars
  • Tichy PFE built-up reefer underframe, turnbuckles, ice hatches and platforms, and K and AB brake sets
  • A-Line stirrups
  • Tahoe Model Works Barber lateral motion 50-ton truck sideframes
  • Tom Madden’s cast airline “T’s”
  • Speedwitch decals
  • assorted wire sizes

Couplers and wheelsets are not included.

 
 

Resin Car Works would like to thank the following rail historians and modelers for their high quality work. Without their efforts, these kits would not have been produced.

Andrew Dahm - casting work
Ted Culotta - decal artwork
Pete Hall - building the first kit and drafting instructions
Ken Soroos – formatting instructions and labels
Frank Hodina - masters

These files are intended to help you build our models.
Kit 16.0 instructions Part 1 (1 MB PDF file)
Kit 16.0 instructions Part 2 (5 MB PDF file)

Prototype images
PFE 50263 - Bob's Photo, Fred Jansz collection
PFE 52462 - photographer unknown, Fred Jansz collection
PFE 52626 - Will Whittaker photo, circa 1941, Tony Thompson collection
PFE 55687 - photographer unknown, Fred Jansz collection
PFE 98444 - George Sisk photo, Charles Winters collection