# USA Trains Refrigerator Cars



## AndrewP (Dec 27, 2007)

Hello Everyone,

What scale are these cars, 1/24 or 1/29? Does anyone own any and what is the quality like? There is such a wide variety and I would maybe like to start collecting them. I presume the have plastic wheels as standard?


Thank you and regards,
Andrew


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, they make 40 and 50 foot reefers, in 1:29, and older wooden reefers in 1:24.... the 1:24 are ok quality and have plastic wheels, the 1:29 are more highly detailed.. 

if you want to collect the 1:24 ones, there are about 500 different paint schemes over the years. 

Greg


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

They are sort of 1/24 but will also work with 1/29. Good quality, well built, heavy cars. Yes, they come with plastic wheels. 
Good luck with collecting them as it has been reported to be over 500+ different road names/billboards made. 
I only have 1 of the reefers because I am more into the outside braced cars. 




















here is a 1/29 train with mixed cars, some of USAT 1/24 cars - 











or with 1:22.5 LGB, Bachmann and 1:24 AristoClassic Cars - 











so they can go either way as long as you're not counting rivets. 

-Brian


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I'll disagree with Brian--those USAT cars are heavy and well made but the scale difference bother me some. Brian makes them look good, but they seem out of place to me.

The size difference, but also the truss rods. We sort of vaguely model the 1940s, and truss rods on the bottom were almost totally gone by then. There was plenty of wooden rolling stock into the 40s, because steel was being conserved for the war, but by the late 40s wooden box and reeffer cars were mostly gone, as I understand it. Here's a couple shots from "shorpy.com" taken by the great Jack Delano in 1942-43. 










If you do a search for "rolling stock" you can see a very hi definition version of this one 


Here's another--lots of wooden cars, lots of size variations, no truss rods










You can do a search for "proviso" and find a high definition version of this one


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

I think Mike means these - 

http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34810u.jpg 

http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34661u_1.jpg 

http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34631u.jpg 

http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/1a34647u1_0.jpg 

-Brian


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

As you did not specify era. Then I'd go with the newer 50ft cars that are really detailed out and come with metal wheels. Also you can get sound installed for the diesel engine that would operate the refrigeration unit. Cool. I have several and really like them later RJD


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## StanleyAmes (Jan 3, 2008)

The USA Trains wood refrigurator cars are exactely the same size as the LGB cars. So the scale is also identical to LGB.

Stan Ames


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By StanleyAmes on 29 Dec 2009 03:25 PM 
The USA Trains wood refrigurator cars are exactely the same size as the LGB cars. So the scale is also identical to LGB.

Stan Ames
Yep. This is why I have always doubted the 1/24 scale claim. To me, they are more in line with 1/22.5 scaled trains.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

The original Delton (1:24) wood sided cars are slightly smaller than both the LGB and USAT cars which I always thought were both 1:22.5.

The Delton cars (currently Aristo) while smaller, mix in very nicelyl with the LGB and USAT cars. If you look at old pictures of narrow gauge freight trains, there is no uniform height for many of the cars.

Chuck N


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I have a few 40 footers. I buy only USA trains. The detail is a lot better then other brands, they come with metal wheels, and don't cost that much more. The wood refers come with plastic wheels and the more modern come with metal wheels.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I only use the USAT "ultimate" series reefers, 40 and 50 foot, and agree, better detail and steel wheels. 

But the question was what is the scale of the "reefers" and Andrew has not come back and verified which ones he is talking about. 

We have mostly assumed he is talking about the 40' wooden reefers, my assumption was based on the fact he asked the scale (the ultimate ones are definitely 1:29), and he talked about collecting them (the wooden reefers come in many different road names and there are about 500). 

It would be nice Andrew if you confirmed which ones. 

No one has really measured them, but I know for certain the wooden sided ones are NOT 1:29. I thought they were 1:24. 

I also thought these were originally from another manufacturer, Delton, or someone? 

USAT lists them in the "American" series, and USAT states on their site the American and the work train series are 1:24 

Regards, Greg 


Regards, Greg


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## adelmo (Jan 2, 2008)

I love the USA American Series reefers! 
Still made in USA and look great with LGB.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Gentlemen:

This has been a very interesting discussion. Some of my basic assumptions (beliefs), for the past 25 or so years, have been shattered. After reading this thread, I had to go out and measure some cars in order to get some answers.


LGB narrow gauge box cars and reefers are not 1:22.5. Greg, your comments are almost correct (closer to 1:25 instead of 1:24). This difference may be in how the length is measured.


I went out and measured an LGB and USA wood side reefer and a Delton box car. I don't have a Delton reefer, I don't think that they made any. Since LGB reefers and box cars are the same size I think that measuring the Delton Box car is OK. In calculating the scale I have made the assumption that the prototype car body was 30 feet long (outside length, end of body to end of body, not coupler to coupler). All measurements are in inches.


Maker length height width scale


Delton 14 7/8 3 11/16 3 15/16 1:24.2


USA 14 3/8 4 4 1:25


LGB 14 7/16 4 4 1:24.9


LGB is not 1:22.5 for this car. 

I don't have any plans for the prototypes, so I do not know the correct height or width. If anyone can supply those values we can calculate the scales in those dimensions.

For the height, I measured the distance from the bottom of the side to the top of the facia board (bottom of roof).

Chuck


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## jebouck (Jan 2, 2008)

>

They did. I have quite a collection of Delton rolling stock, including reefers.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Your right, I had forgotten about all the beer cars that Delton made. I have several myself.

Chuck


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

I am looking for USA Trains Bear Whiz #906. I need it to make my collection complete, I have #907, #908, #909, #910 and Beary Whizmas 1994.


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

There was a USA Trains Bear Whiz #906 on Ebay that I missed. I'm just not good at the bidding part. So the bottom line is I'm still looking for #906. Now I hear there was actually a caboose, good luck to me finding that.


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## jnovosel (Dec 29, 2009)

If you are referring to USA Trains products, they are manufactured in China. If you weren't then I should just have kept quiet. LOL


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Is it just me, or is this thread a mess? 

Andrew, you started this thread, which USAT cars are you talking about, the wood sided ones, or the more modern ones? 

Regards, Greg


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