N GARX 37′ Meat Refeer
Sorry these models are sold out. Please check with your dealer or contact us for more information.
The Rapido wood reefer is based on a design built inbetween one thousand nine hundred thirty seven and one thousand nine hundred forty one by General American Transportation (GARX). Albeit built with a wooden sheathed assets and roof that made them look like a car from an earlier era, these GARX cars were modern for their time.
They were constructed on a steel underframe of similar construction to boxcar underframes then in common use and featured AB brakes, Equipco brake wheels and housings and Barber S-1 trucks. More than nine hundred forty cars were built to this configuration making it one of the most numerous meat reefer designs, and they lasted in service into the 1970’s. They would normally be assigned to meat service only, running inbetween meat packing houses and regional dealers across North America, Including Canada.
Notable features of the General American meat reefer are wood assets with three hinge doors (utilizing the GARX triangular hinge design), a wood roof with steel hatches and unique latches, side and end ladders, power handbrakes, and a steel underframe with a tabbed side sill. All of these features are included on the fresh Rapido model. Also found on the model is a Total underframe with accomplish brake equipment, all fresh trucks with brake boots in line with the wheel tread and fresh metal wheelsets. Microtrains couplers are fitted at the factory.
If you’re for more information on these cars we suggest Railway Prototype Cyclopedia #14 by RP Cyc Publishing which has a wonderful article on the history of the cars and many of the meat packers as well as numerous photos of the prototype cars.
Prototype photo courtesy of Frank Peacock
The General American 37’ meat reefers are suggested in up to twelve individual car numbers per paint scheme. These will be available in four packs (four individual cars shrink packaged together and lightly violated up for individual sale) as well as individual cars. Note that individual cars will be one of the four total available road numbers.
In addition to our standard releases, Rapido Trains Inc. is pleased to announce the Rapido Meat Reefer Collector Packs. Solid blocks of meat reefers were a common view on North American rails for almost a half century. While the most famous of these cars were pridefully adorned with the names and logos of large packing companies, a sizeable number of them bore the names of smaller packing houses. Still others carried experimental or “one off” liveries from the larger packers.
Each of the cars included in our Collector Packs has been chosen to be a unique addition to your reefer fleet or decorated reefer collection and are sure to be a conversation chunk for both rail enthusiasts and collectors alike. Each Collector’s Edition Pack contains four cars, each in their individual jewel case. These cars will not be released individually or in other four packs so the only way to obtain them is in this Collector’s Pack release.
Don’t miss your chance to own each of these unique lumps of railroad history and add to your collection of high quality refrigerated cars. Reserve yours today!
Our N Scale Model Features:
- Accurate tooling – never suggested before in N scale!
- Prototypical rail height
- Fully decorated and assembled with factory-installed Microtrains couplers
- Total underbody with seperate brake rods and piping
- Correct roof hatch and latch details
- Fresh Rapido Barber S1-A trucks with in-line brake footwear and blackened metal wheelsets
- 9” Minimum radius
A general note on paint schemes:
When built these cars were typically painted yellow-orange with crimson finishes and roof. Being built soon after the limitation on “billboard” lettering schemes, the early lettering arrangements were typically fairly elementary. Most cars carried GARX or URTX reporting marks. Some carried the name of the leasing packing company, while others did not. The later were typically used in per-diem (daily rental) service and could be assigned to any packer that needed a car. The earliest cars had door hardware and ladders painted black, but early in the 1940’s cars began appearing with the hardware and doors painted assets color. Also embarking in the late 1940’s many of the cars embarked to show up with the reporting marks of leasing packers and schemes became bolder and more colorful.