BAR Maine Potatoes Reefer

[RGlueck]

My current winter project is this 1/8th scale Bangor and Aroostook potato reefer from the late 40's through around 1960.  This is 7.25" gauge, weighs about 60 pounds, and is a work in progress.  I will add lettering once the interior fitting with blue styrofoam insulation is completed.  This car will be used to carry lunches and cold drinks while we run live steam trains.  I am still fabricating some metal parts in my shop or at work, including door hinges, hatch hardware, and brake wheels.

Does anybody have a color shot of one of these wood, red, white, and blue BAR potato cars?  Steel won't do, neither will H-O models. 

[hjw3001]

Nice job!

[scopelliti]

Oh my goodness... another one!  I have a friend who is about to do about ten acres in 1/8th scale in New Hampshire.  Have to learn to not wander by for a while... he'll immediately hand me a shovel and get me clearing right-of-way!   

[RGlueck]

Lettering is in place.  I still have work to accomplish, but she's looking like she's ready to leave for the road.  Catwalk get put on, doors, brake wheels, and couplers. 

[No Door Light]

Wow,looks great! Nice Job.

[Super Chief]

Cool!

[alcoAL]

Dick, that looks great with the lettering added. I have one question. I guess since it's a potato car, your wife doesn't have a problem with it being in the kitchen. Would she allow that if it was, say, a manure car? (My wife has a fit if I leave piles of stuff on the dining room table, which we use like 6 times a year.)

[RGlueck]

Al:  In truth, the car is sitting in my late mother's kitchen, in an apartment attached to our house.  The apartment is heated, which makes it a good working space, so no, Carole Ann isn't too perturbed by the refrigerator car.  The next thing to come in there is my Camelback steam locomotive.  For this, we have a drop cloth, as live steamers are, greasy. 
Let me go back and say, me Mrs. has been kept very busy during her recent retirement, tossing out catalogs for companies that no longer exist and sales that went out in 2007.  We are donating umpteen thousand copies of the Oprah magazine and Smithsonian, to the local hospital waiting room,  The dump runs have been fairly busy of late. 

Concerning the reefer, my friend and colleague, Jeremy, came over today and we put in the insulation.  We are going to install ice cages, drip pans, and electric circulation fans.  I need to complete the doors and brake details. 

[rs31556]

That looks real nice.  Did you make your own stencles?  Where do you run?

[Block Limit]

That's a great job!
Whats the weight of these model cars (empty)?

[RGlueck]

I had the vinyl decals cut at Bangor Neon.  The company used a huge inventory of fonts to match the photo I found of the real deal.  The logo was in their files as well.  This particular car weighs about 60 pounds empty, with frame and trucks.  It is now insulated with 1/2" blue foam board.  My buddy, Jeremy, is building ice cages and drip trays for inside the car.  I will also include a 12 volt computer fan to circulate the air inside.  It will be used to carry cold drinks, sandwiches, etc.  She is plywood sheathed in individual oak strips.  I have several hundred hours in it and probably invested about $200 in materials, maybe $250.  I've started work in October, 2009, so I figure there are about 130 hours in it thus far.  I have no doubt I'll be asked to build others, but in honestly, you do this as a labor of love.  I built a New Haven and a Boston & Maine caboose this summer, using similar techniques and materials, and traded those off for trucks.  My first car was the Long Island N-22a caboose.  If I was to sell it today, I wouldn't accept less than $1700 for the car, but it isn't for sale at this time.  My next projected idea is a 1940's tank car, to be used as an auxiliary tender for the steam locomotives. 
I run my equipment, at least for now, on the Washington County Railroad, in Cherryfield, Maine, and have also run on the Spare Time Lines in Waldoboro, Maine.  I may get down to Waushakem Live Steamers, in Massachusetts, later this year. 
Let me suggest that if you know how to machine, use a metal lathe, and can mig weld, you are ahead of the game.  Check out Discover Live Steam and http://www.wcrr.org to get an idea of this craziness.  Incidentally, this doesn't have to be considered a "rich man's hobby".  You need to come to a meet, and I'd suggest Long Island Live Steamers, look, learn, shut up and listen.  When you see how cars are made, you get some ideas and start making contributions.  Eventually, you build, sell, and buy your first tiny locomotive - or build one.  Steamers are tough and require strict standards for welding, whereas Diesels and electrics are fairly straight forward.  You can build a nice electric locomotive for yourself, like one of the Morris Park yard locos, by pushing Granny out of her electric wheelchair and stealing the motors and controllers.  I have the very basic beginnings of LIRR 403a/b in my garage, but I need to heist an electric wheelchair to get her going. 
Thanks for the compliments, guys!  It's always fun to hear feedback, particularly positive feedback.

[Super Chief]

Looks good, Dick. I wish I had room for something in N scale, never mind 1/4!   

[rs31556]

Thanks Dick,
You must post more pictures.

[RGlueck]

We hit the rails today for the first time.  She ran 12 scale miles without any problems.  The significant upgrades since I last posted include the door hardware, the interior cage for food and ice, couplers, and a thermometer to read the inside temperature without opening the car.






The Long Island Caboose was my first 1.5" scale car, made last year, in memory of my friend and mentor, John W. Brace.  The roof opens and reveals a tool box for significant track work.

[Super Chief]

Gotta love that Santa Fe Yellowbonnet!!