Weekly Photo Fun 1/3 - 1/9/14

[modelsof1900]

Wayne, thanks.

These ATLAS reefer are alltogether well designed but built more for child's hands. A good idea however the price it high also, more than $30.
Their decoration is well done, lettering is brightly and sharp but details are in most cases too thick and so not good enough for serious model railroaders.
I own three such models of first series with different design and I reworked them - at underbody and brake.



Here a picture of original car - and you can not decide if it should be a steel frame or one from wood. Center beam looks very close to steel and there are a few U-channels added - for redirecting of truss rods. Details are relatively fine modelled however than Atlas installed simple plastic blocks as turnbuckles.
So I rebuild and backdated the cars to 1900 or 1910 by rebuilding the frame to a pure wood frame with better looking turnbuckles.
Repetition of two pictures that I've shown here already.





The second frame rebuilding is slightly different from the first.
Already on the first series that I planned to rebuild the door hardware again, but I knew that I would destroy the color of the doors and side walls - and so I let it be. Modification of frames and brakes were so that what I did with the first series.
However then I found a video with the fascinating reefers with roof lettering, the Decker reefers and I must own the second serie of these cars, from ATLAS again. This time I started the rebuilding together with my friend Joerg (from Leipzig, not IndyCity-Joerg here), and he will repair the painting and lettering, where I'm just doing damages. And this time replacing of door hardware to a more reality-like design has first priority!