Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

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SPSteam2491
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by SPSteam2491 »

Ran out of time over the weekend to glue up the roof but did get time to get the car painted. It looks like a white elephant after the primer. But after a couple coats of paint, it starts to look a lot a reefer.
Step 20.jpg
Step 21.jpg
The roof will be the focus tonight. The weather is starting to look favorable, hopefully I will be able to paint the roof in the next couple weeks. That will give me some time to assemble the 1" trucks from 1" Railroad supply. Stay tuned!
Thanks
John LaFavor
Pacific Design Shops
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by SPSteam2491 »

First off is attaching the walkway supports to the roof. With the wood version, you just count out the spaces between the grooves, but with the steel you need to mark some measurements for the placements. All those numbers are included in the instructions. It is really easy to install the supports. A 6" combination square is used to center the piece and another square is used to square them to the edge.
Step 22.jpg
Step 23.jpg
Once all the supports are glued on, the "steel" slats can be added. The gaps on the ends are where the platforms will attach and where the hatch is. Those items will be built next.
Step 24.jpg
Step 25.jpg
The roof looks much more realistic but needs some black paint. Early steel roofs were painted black instead of the boxcar red.
Step 26.jpg
Updates will slow down on this car for a couple weeks until after the 1½" car kits have been shipped out. The decals and lettering are being made and I have sources for the door hinge hardware and grabirons/ladders. Hopefully soon I will have some of the prototype detail parts to finish this car and release pricing.
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John LaFavor
Pacific Design Shops
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by SPSteam2491 »

Really busy and productive weekend in the shop. Picked up the parts for the 1½" kits and started crating up the kits. For those that ordered a kit, I will be sending out tracking numbers this week. There may be a few kits that ship out next week but most will go this week.

For the 1" kit, the weather is starting to look good for painting outside. Hopefully by next week, we are seeing constant 60° so I can paint the roof and finish the basic kit. I will give some more updates the week of April 8th.
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John LaFavor
Pacific Design Shops
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makinsmoke
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by makinsmoke »

Hi John,
Kudos on a new product for the hobby. Just awesome!

Also, thanks for documenting the assembly process. It really isn’t rocket science, but for many can be intimidating unless they’ve seen it done. Paint masks are the only way to go INHO for wood cars. As the car ages, so does the paint, including the lettering.

One suggestion if I may. Unless you are building a contest quality model with opening doors and correct interior (which of course now requires the proper ice bunks and bulkheads and floor drains installed!) two full width bulkheads on either side of the door openings will provide some strength and rigidity to the car, particularly the 1-1/2” scale. Being handled, it will twist and bend. In addition, if one adds hinges to the roof, the compartments now provided will give you nice storage spaces.

One other suggestion. You can use exterior oil or latex and leave it, or cover it with a light spray of spar urethane available in spray cans and available in gloss, matte, and flat. Just a little extra protection from those dewy mornings!

Again, great job, thanks for the new products!
Brian
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by SPSteam2491 »

Brian,
Thank you! I enjoyed your reefer build and learned tricks for putting the paint masks on from your posts; those tricks really came in handy. I completely agree on the clear coat. Once the weather (finally) warms up here in Wisconsin, I plan to bring the car outside and do that. That will help to seal the lettering in too being that was just acrylic paint that is probably not rated for outside use.

As far as the center bulkhead, I made a note in the instructions that something like that can be added but I don't think that is necessary; at least not with the design of the car (tabbed construction) and the material used. I was really surprised how much rigidity the MDF added to the car. I could flex the sides about ¼" over the 5' length when it was just the Baltic Birch sides but once the MDF got glued on, I had to double the force applied just to get the same deflection (I don't have actual force data to back that up but the difference was very noticeable). I am interested to see how this car adapts over the years to changes in weather and use but I have evidence that it should perform very well. I will give a followup of the condition of the car after this summer of running (I plan to put a lot of miles on it :) )
Thanks
John LaFavor
Pacific Design Shops
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by ccvstmr »

...have any idea yet how much your competed car weighs? ...1.5" scale? Just curious. Carl B
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by SPSteam2491 »

I actually have not weighed it completed, I will do that tonight as I am weighing the crates to ship out too.

I am guessing 80 lbs without the frame/couplers/trucks.
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John LaFavor
Pacific Design Shops
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makinsmoke
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by makinsmoke »

Thanks for the kind words.

Wood is heavy! I was surprised how heavy my reefer turned out. But it tracks well!
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by SPSteam2491 »

I forgot to post this yesterday. The finished car weighs 70 lbs with a wood style roof. A steel style roof would add about 3 lbs to that with all the extra roof detail parts like the platforms and thicker hatch base.

I have extra parts for making a platform and I will assemble one up in 1.5" scale next week. The 1" prototype car will be built with the platforms.
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John LaFavor
Pacific Design Shops
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by SPSteam2491 »

What a crazy couple weeks. Only have a few kits left to ship and the instructions for the 1½" car are complete (minus a few extra parts). Once they are fully complete, I will make them public.

On the 1" car, I received the lettering from Connie and will start on that next week. I am also doing this car with the paint masks. I will make some videos of the process as well as that will greatly assist in showing what happens and provide some of the tricks I learned. My goal is to release the kit pricing the first week of May and am targeting a ship date of the kits around July. Thank you all for being patience! And stayed tune for more updates next week.
Thanks
John LaFavor
Pacific Design Shops
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by SPSteam2491 »

Finally, the lettering is starting. Seems like ages ago when I was lettering the 1½" car. Only a couple letters added but more will be done tonight.
Step 27.jpg
For this car, I am going to do something special with the railroad heralds. In 1928, PFE started painting the heralds on pieces of sheet steel which were then bolted or nailed to the car sides. This practiced lasted until the end of the 1930's when they determined that the sheets had a tendency to fall off in transit. That is a bit of a problem when passing grade crossings or MOW workers as that could be a real hazard. That sure would be an unsettling experience seeing at 45" diameter steel disc come rolling at you at 50+ mph :shock: :shock: :shock:
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John LaFavor
Pacific Design Shops
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Re: Pacific Fruit Express Reefer Kits - 1½" & 1" Scale

Post by SPSteam2491 »

The lettering is progressing. The most important part of applying the lettering when using the "dry brush" method is to have patience. If you try to rush and put more paint on your brush, you will likely have some over brushing of the black. Take you time, apply multiple thin coats, and the results will be spot on with very little touch up required.

I am going to experiment with spray painting a few of the letters on, just to get a comparison. The down sides to spray painting the lettering are that you have to mask off everything you don't want paint on, and you should do it in a well ventilated area. But the overall painting time will be less. I will post the results when I complete them.
Attachments
Step 28.jpg
Thanks
John LaFavor
Pacific Design Shops
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