Add some color to your 1949 to 1974 freight trains!
The GNRHS Company Store is offering HO scale models of refrigerator cars WFEX 68400 to 68649 in three correct paint schemes typical of their time. These custom painted models by Accurail are excellent representations of cars WFEX 68400 to 68649 built by Pacific Car and Foundry in 1949, the last hinged door, ice cooled refrigerator cars purchased by WFE.
First is the as built scheme with optic style lettering, boxcar red roof, ends, yellow sides and kickplates below the door, black hardware including fan generator housing at BL and AR corners above the body bolster, 42” Side Facing Goat Great Northern Railway herald, and ventilator-refrigerator lettering.
The second scheme, applied from about 1956 forward, features optic style lettering, with boxcar red ends, silver roof, all yellow sides including hardware and kickplate, 48” Side Facing Goat Great Northern Railway herald, and refrigerator lettering.
The third scheme, applied from 1960 forward, features gothic style lettering, with boxcar red ends, silver roof, all yellow sides including hardware and kickplate, 48” Side Facing Goat Great Northern Railway herald, and refrigerator lettering.
We believe that WFE repainted its cars on roughly seven-year cycles, and that when repaint orders were given the job was completed in less than one year. Assuming that cars were repainted into the second scheme in 1956-57, the cars would have been repainted into the third scheme circa 1963-64. These dates are only estimates.
The as built scheme is priced a bit higher than the others because its complexity requires five painting steps versus three steps for the others.