Model Railroading > Xmas in Jan - PGEX BethGons and Modern IM R-70-20s

Still divvying out that holiday credit, and a new box from MB Klein's Model Train Stuff arrived on Tuesday. Inside were a few long awaited acquisitions. I'll start with some proto photos, then move on to the models...

1. PGEX 527 - BethGon Coalporter (chevron end) from May 2009 in Missoula, MT.
2. NRDX 95103 - 57' Reefer from January 2006 near Paradise, MT.
3. BNSF 799224 - 57' Reefer from January 2010 in La Mirada, CA. One final movement left before retirement at Adams Steel. :(

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OK the models, I had no choice... Anyone who models the Montana Rail Link is required (by MT state law I think...) to own a big set of Portland General Electric coal cars for the Boardman coal trains that operate on the system. These coal cars have been a dream of mine for a number of years now and Athearn finally came through. Before the Athearn cars, modelers were limited to searching desperately through the internet for the old E&C/LBF kits from 10+ years ago. One big difference between the (what today is considered "chunky") LBF model and the current standard Athearn RTR model are the paint variations. The LBF model represents a newer prototype paint wise with the full red ends, while the Athearn is an early style with thin red chevron ends. Both styles are still around today mixed together with an even newer style which lacks the flowers. Now if we can just convince Athearn to shell out the newer styles, then I can finally retire the 37 LBF cars I currently own...

Big thanks to Athearn for sticking in one of the rare "Double-Rotary" hoppers in one of the three 5-packs! Now I've got my work cut out to weather-up these freaks!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/10 01:46 by MrMRL.

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The blue reefers, I love these cars, just because they stand out like a sore thumb when mixed in a manifest train. That and the cute puffer-belly on the side makes me think of Shining Time Station...

The modernized Intermountain R-70-20s are out looking really sharp with the cutouts on the end for the modern day reefer pods. They are even nice enough to include the pre-painted screen doors in a separate baggie for the modeler to add per prototype if necessary.

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This last one chokes me up a bit... The BNSF modernized 57' reefers. I keep watching cut after cut of these iconic reefers leave BNSF's La Mirada Yard to never return. The railroad is currently retiring many if not all of these boxcars due to age, limited capacity, and lack of need. The ones I photograph all end up heading east about 20 miles to Adams Steel in Anaheim, CA where they are torched and scrapped, along with numerous other poor old freight cars.

Either way I still elected to pick up one of the IM models to round out the additional two I own. I'll keep on running them in my trains, regardless of their status in real life. (OMG!! Is Mr. MRL now dating his modeling era!!) No!

Just like the blue box above (ha, Model RR joke...), the BNSF model's screen doors are packaged separately to model as the modeler sees fit.

InterMountain really hit the ball out of the park with these cars. I don't know if there is any way to improve other than adding sound (Which I will be doing next courtesy some modified Aztec Reefer Sound units)!!

Mr. MRL

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Those reefers are expletve deleted! I'm gonna have to pick up some of those for my little switching layout but in ARMN. I just wish I could get the modern ARMN reefers.

imrl Wrote:
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> Those reefers are expletve deleted! I'm gonna
> have to pick up some of those for my little
> switching layout but in ARMN. I just wish I could
> get the modern ARMN reefers.


Yeah, I could use a few of the modern BNSF versions myself.

Not Model RR related, but a couple years back I was doing some 1:1 scale Remote Switching at Malabar Yard (south of BNSF's Hobart Yard) The other conductor and I had to shove one of those big white reefers up the line a few miles, so we both climbed up and stood on the black platform on the end where the fuel tank and AC unit are and rode the cut up to the plant that way. Talk about having a great view of ones surroundings when shoving while standing on a platform 8 ft off the rail! The ride was really enjoyable until that $%@ing AC unit kicked in and we couldn't hear a thing even screaming out loud!

It was memorable though...

Mr. MRL - what-u-say?

Those look good, I just picked up an NRDX reefer for my N scale layout from Athearn. I was thinking about modernizing it like Intermountain did with those HO cars. Not a difficult project at all. Those cars are one of my favorites, they stand out in any train.

Your right about every MRL modeler needing those PGEX hoppers. I don't have any yet. I have a ton of the old LBF and E&C shop cars though in BN and BNSF; do you want to trade even up Robbie? :>)
Glenn