Model Railroading > 'Beer Can' boxcars in 2020?

Ok, I've done some homework, looked around on the internet, but not finding (yet) good results, so I'll ask the brain power here. 

As my basement is slowly forming a model railroad in it, era: current day, so 2020, I'm working on operations and planning a current brewery industry. I have the grain cars and corn syrup cars planned inbound, and a few standard boxcars with supplies/cardboard inbound, but looking at outbound cars. I've always liked the 60' 'beer can' cars, so have a handful of them, but from what I'm finding, if they are even really used anymore. I can update (with safety stripes and weathering) the older painted cars, but is that proper? Looks like just any kind of 50' boxcars are on satellite views, if any show up at all. I'm thinking mostly trucks are used to take product to the shelves. 

The short question is, what kind of box cars are they packing beer cans/cases in now a days? (if any)

Thanks for the insight. 

Mike ONeill
Parker, CO

Just drive up to Golden and see what's coming out of the distribution center at the end of the valley. I helped design that back in the 1990s. Back then we used insulated boxcars which is what I assume they still use. Haven't been there since 2012.

IIRC beer also goes out in kegs, and the same cars bring the empty kegs back.

Lots of 60’ beer cars still used at the Budweiser brewery North of Ft. Collins. Weathered properly, the BLMA/Atlas cars are good match....

John Parker
Longmont, CO
BNSF Fall River Division

I know there is a distributor here in NY that receives inbound CSX insulated boxcars full of Coors.

The main requirement for cars used to move beer today is an insulated car with a cushioned underframe with load restraint devices.

The vast majority of Malt Liquor (ie everything not beer), is usually shipped in plain jane boxcars.  Same with Corona.   

For HO, BLMA/Atlas has the 60' insulated boxcar "Beer Cars" for Santa Fe and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF). I see them all the time on Norfolk Southern going through  the Pittsburgh area. I don't know who makes the Union Pacific, Missouri Pacific, Southern Pacific, Denver & Rio Grande Western 60 feet cars, but I see them too.  The ATSF and BNSF cars are much more common though. I think Eel River Models used to make a 60' beer car also.

SantaFeRuss

SantaFeRuss Wrote:
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> I think Eel River Models used to make a
> 60' beer car also.
>
> SantaFeRuss

Yes, Eel River made 61' PC&F boxcars in kit and RTR form.  There are a bunch on Ebay right now over priced.  With patience you can find the in the $20 - 25 range.  They represent I believe RBL's made in 1977.  ExactRail has made a similar PC&F 61' RBL "beer" car representing a version made in 1980 IIRC.  Both types could be seen hauling Coors from Golden Colorado west over the Front Range and probably also on the BN and Santa Fe.  Typical box cars were painted for BN, D&RGW, WP and Santa Fe.

 

Lots of beer comes out of Mexico by train. A real nice article was in the Chicago Tribune several years back during a very deep cold spell talking about how UP handled the cars to keep the beer from freezing. The made sure the cars didn't sit too long before being unloaded inside a heated warehouse in the Chicago area.

Bruce Stikkers
St. Joseph, IL

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> SantaFeRuss Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I think Eel River Models used to make a
> > 60' beer car also.
> >
> > SantaFeRuss
>
> Yes, Eel River made 61' PC&F boxcars in kit and
> RTR form.  There are a bunch on Ebay right now
> over priced.  With patience you can find the in
> the $20 - 25 range.  They represent I believe
> RBL's made in 1977.  ExactRail has made a
> similar PC&F 61' RBL "beer" car representing a
> version made in 1980 IIRC.  Both types could be
> seen hauling Coors from Golden Colorado west over
> the Front Range and probably also on the BN and
> Santa Fe.  Typical box cars were painted for BN,
> D&RGW, WP and Santa Fe.
>
>  

Yes, I forgot about the Western Pacific and Burlington Northern cars. We can't forget about the Cotton Belt and Golden West cars. I have the Atlas/BLMA and Eel River cars.  Also forgot about the Exact Rail cars. Happy hunting!!

SantaFeRuss

keiffer Wrote:
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> I know there is a distributor here in NY that
> receives inbound CSX insulated boxcars full of
> Coors.

There is a beer distributor in New Kinsington, PA (Pittsburgh area) that gets insulated CSX smooth side boxcars full of beer on the Allegheny Valley RR

Sunset Coast Line car is Eel River Models
Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe car is Atlas/BLMA
Burlington Northern Santa Fe car is Eel River Models
​

 

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When I worked at Coors we would ship 100-car unit trains of the type in the last picture each day to all over the country. The 10 or so miles from the brewery to the BNSF yard in Denver were the most profitable route miles in the whole system according to our BNSF rep who got me a couple of cab rides on the daily train.

 More "beer cars".

BNSF car is Atlas/BLMA
Golden West car is Eel River Models

Sunset Coast Line is my free lance RR.

SantaFeRuss

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Out of Miller, in Milwaukee, when they are shipping out by rain in the 1980/9os, insulated 50' cars were used,  I have see MoPac 53' Evans "Blue Island" reefers and DRGW 50' FGE cars moving product out.  Most, if not all, is now shipped out buy truck.

Darin Umlauft
A WC, SOO and GBW fan in Slinger, WI

Hello,

     I work at a large Brewery in Golden Colorado. Right now we get inbound covered Hoppers with Malt for the Malt house. Also recieve Syrup Tank Cars for the Brewhouse. Outgoing is all 60 Foot insulated "Beer Cars" mostly BNSF with some Santa Fe and a rare BN in the mix. Also Malt is shipped out to other facilities in covered Hoppers from the Malting Department. We did get Coal up until 2015 when Power House switched over to Natural Gas. No Packaging materials arrive by rails.


                                                                                                  Regards, Dave 

The three big breweries in California that I am familiar with, Budweiser in Van Nuys and Fairfield and Miller in Irwindale, all receive their ingrediants by rail but ship nothing by rail.
All of the finished product is shipped by truck. Breweries like Coors in Golden are the exception these days.

Here's a BNSF KCKBAR that I shot in 2015 with a large cut of Beer Cars up on the head end.  I know things change over five years, but they're still fairly common through these parts.

- Jeff Carlson

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PHall Wrote:
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> The three big breweries in California that I am
> familiar with, Budweiser in Van Nuys and Fairfield
> and Miller in Irwindale, all receive their
> ingrediants by rail but ship nothing by rail.
> All of the finished product is shipped by truck.
> Breweries like Coors in Golden are the exception
> these days.

It's my understanding that the "beer cars" still seen bringing product out of California and across the ex-ATSF "Transcon" through Arizona and New Mexico to points east are carrying California wine rather than beer, making these cars' nickname something of a historical relic.