The once and future ATSF reefer from Rapido

[JMaurer1]

...oh, and I run out of being able to use that "...when I retire" excuse in...two more days. Need to start working on some new excuses (open to suggestions).

[eja]

You will have even less time after you retire.  Doesn't make sense, but believe me, it is true,

Congratulations...

[pedro]

I just received an invoice from Rapido for the Santa Fe reefers…

[bbussey]

N scale?

[bbussey]

I was going to order directly, but the shipping is $22. I ordered from MB Klein. They will have them at some point and I’m in no hurry.

[wcfn100]

Don't even know if I have any on order.    I know I did, and then they cancelled.


Jason

[wcfn100]

Did they change the artwork from the first release on some of the cars?  None of the artwork on N scale Supply (or HogTrainz) show the ACI label or COTS panel, but the artwork on Rapido's site has it on some cars.

Jason

[pedro]

Did they change the artwork from the first release on some of the cars?  None of the artwork on N scale Supply (or HogTrainz) show the ACI label or COTS panel, but the artwork on Rapido's site has it on some cars.

Jason

I think only the SFRP billboard scheme has ACI/COTS. None of the slogan cars do as far as I can tell.

[Spades]

Did they change the artwork from the first release on some of the cars?  None of the artwork on N scale Supply (or HogTrainz) show the ACI label or COTS panel, but the artwork on Rapido's site has it on some cars.

Jason

I should look it up, but yes.  Spoke to Craig Walker at BAPM.  He mentioned, this is my take not his words.  The first run schemes were not the most popular or iconic. The second run would address this.

[thomasjmdavis]

Caveat here- I am just back from the eye doctor, so I am still waiting for the drops to wear off, after which I will compare these to photos in the Santa Fe references I have.

Mine arrived today (thank you, Fifer) and my first impression is positive.  Colors look pretty good to me.  And, I received the specific cars I rirst ordered three or four years ago.  My only (minor) quibble (so far, anyway) is that the ladders seem a bit chunky to me (by 2025 standards), but on the plus side, the roofwalk is an etched work of art, and it includes details like the fuel tanks for the chiller.  Actually, those fuel tanks would make a great 'spare part' for upgrading older Atlas and Con-cor, etc. mechanical reefer cars.

[turbowhiz]

I'll mention that the roof hatch can be swapped with an open version that's included under the bottom nest; Its not super obvious that its an option if you just unpack the car and casually inspect it. I've had an example for a couple of weeks but not got around to taking any pictures unil now. In general they seem to be a very nice model. Arguably not quite up to ST or Tangent standards, but still very nice. (wheelsets are under gauge out of the box a fair bit)

I'm not a SF reefer guy, but casually it seemed to match some proto photos I found online very well. The circle cross symbols on the sill that are oddly just white boxes is the most glaring issue I spotted.
(Repaint does actually appear with squares like the Rapido model)

Coupler conversion is a generally straightforward URS conversion, factory height is good.

Since no one has posted pics....

[jwaldo]

Hot damn those look nice! Is it just me ore are the side grabs on the A-end molded onto the shell instead of being separate like all the other grabs/ladders? Still, I'd love to see any of the PFE reefer menagerie get this kind of treatment; almost all of the N-scale models of PFE prototypes are dated at best.

[randgust]

My connection at Kato USA at the time reinforced that conclusion that they just made WAY too many of them, despite warning that the US market was not heavy into DMU motorcar units like Japan was.  In Japan, similar function units are very much everyday equipment, not here.

And joked to me about trying to make a kit that would use an RDC chassis.... please....

Saw the Rapido reefers at Altoona, sure looked nice, but I already traded in all my 'legacy' ATSF 70's reefers for Intermountain, including some billboard Santa Fe repaints.

One of the 'really cool' things about the "Santa Fe" repaints was that they got rid of the "Ship & Travel"  in the '72 era in one awful hurry as a result of getting out of the passenger business.   I was at Corwith in '80 and they were still servicing and fueling mechanical reefers there, about half and half had been repainted.  And the roof overspray on the "Santa Fe" billboard ones with orange spilling over the roof panels was painfully obvious from the Corwith tower.   Nobody masked off the roof on most of them.  As I'm running '72, this car would be 'sticky' clean.



Link:  http://www.randgust.com/IMRFR03.jpg

Also, for the record, as the "Santa Fe" billboard came in in 1972, I'll challenge anyone to produce a photo of one of those fresh repaints with a roofwalk.  By that time, any car coming in for shopping got the remove the roofwalk and possibly lower the handbrake treatment, illegal after '79, process started in '66.   

[OldEastRR]

I remember seeing SF boxcars with just the "& Travel" painted out, leaving the rest of the slogan.

[turbowhiz]

Also, for the record, as the "Santa Fe" billboard came in in 1972, I'll challenge anyone to produce a photo of one of those fresh repaints with a roofwalk.  By that time, any car coming in for shopping got the remove the roofwalk and possibly lower the handbrake treatment, illegal after '79, process started in '66.

@randgust Challenge accepted... 

https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3071699

It has a lot of overspray apparent there to be sure...