Athearn ART reefers-prototype accuracy?

[anonymous]

Hi all, just looking for some quick info. I bought a few Athearn Blue box American Refrigerator transit cars (they had two numbers made, #36016 and #36084). They have the scheme with the colored MP/Wabash logos on the left and the ART logos on the right. The devalued building date shows 1948. My questions are:

1) Were these cars part of the 32000-series?
2) If so, I read that the 32000-series was renumbered into those numbers starting 1951. What were those cars’ #
3) What ART cars do the Athearn Blue Box cars most accurately resemble, if not the 32000 series? And are they appropriate for any time during or before 1950?

I’m modeling the years 1949-1950 and want to make sure they line up. If these kinds of cars only hit the rails in 1951 or after I may look to sell them or send them back. Any info is appreciated-thank you!

(PS-I’d buy the ART book but I already blew my budget for this month on trains! 😆 )

[Charles Duckworth]

The 36000-36024 were built by AC&F/ART in 1946. The two emblem scheme was from 1951-1961.

Source the ART book.

[David Boeschen]

The sides on the Athearn car aren’t right, because of the lack of the horizontal rivet seam. The Athearn reefer (I decaled a couple of them for ART many years ago) is actually based on the PFE R-40-23, a car built in very large numbers both for PFE and for a couple of other reefer owners like NP.

The 36000-36024 and the 35000-35049 had 4-4 round-corner ends. These can be made to fit by filing the ends of the sides down flush with the core end. I had a couple of sets of resin ends which are correct. or they can be modified by careful slicing from an Intermountain end. The later 26000-26299 and the 27000 and 28000 cars have ends that are very similar to the Athearn model, with the same shape of the ribs except for having one more in the lower half of the end.

Hope this helps.

RG7

[Author]

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