The prototype cars began rolling out of the TrinityRail factory in late 2003. These excess-height cars, designated Plate F, can haul the equivalent of four 53-foot trailers. The cars are designed to make loading and unloading more efficient, and to better protect produce and other perishable goods during transit.
Railex Corp. ships produce and other temperature-sensitive items in the reefers from its warehouses in Delano, Calif., and Wallula, Wash., to its distribution center in Rotterdam, N.Y. The unit trains are handled by Union Pacific and CSX.
Each reefer has a global-positioning system for tracking. The car’s temperature can be monitored and set via satellite by UP employees in Omaha, Neb.
More information about the Railex Corp. unit trains can be found in Roy Blanchard’s article “A fresh approach” in the February 2010 Trains magazine.
The injection-molded plastic model has a one-piece body with a separate roof and underframe. There were a few small gaps where the roof meets the car side.
The underbody has a molded center sill, stringers, and crossbearers. The air reservoir, control valve, and brake cylinder (and related piping) are separately applied. Use caution if you want to separate the underframe from the body, as the pipe from the control valve to the
retaining valve is secured with glue.
The plug doors have separate closure rods, operating levers, and door tracks. The other door detail is crisply molded.
The car weighs 5.9 ounces, which is .4 ounce too heavy based on National Model Railroad Association recommended practice 20.1. The body-mounted Kadee no. 156 knuckle couplers are at the
correct height. The coupler box covers are held on with Phillips screws. Care should be used when removing the couplers, as the brake pipe brackets and uncoupling lever are attached to the covers.
The 36″ metal wheels (mounted on plastic axles) are correctly gauged. The screw-mounted 100-ton trucks are painted black and have the car’s road number and reporting mark printed on the truck face; the bearing caps are blue.
The white paint is smooth and evenly applied on the carbody, but there were a few light spots on the door tracks. Except for two warning labels on the door, all of the lettering is legible under magnification. The placement of the lettering and reflective stripes matches prototype photos of car no. 111102.
With 1,500 cars in service, the Phase III TRINCool reefer is a common prototype. The well-proportioned and detailed model will look good in a manifest freight or a unit train.
Price: $29.95
Manufacturer
BLMA Models
302 District Ct.
Fullerton, CA 92832
blmamodels.com
Road names: Union Pacific with ARMN reporting marks (Phase III prototype, 24 road numbers).
Era: 2003 to present
i realy love this itom from blma or exact rain
Nice car but still trying to figure out why both BLMA and ExactRail came out with the same car. I have one of each and the differences are very, very minor.
Understand these cars usually move in big blocks or unit trains.
JLC