Refrigerator of the Bergner & Engel Brewing Co.

[bn7023]

I came across an interesting reefer in a YouTube video. It says "Refrigerator of the Bergner & Engel Brewing Co." on the side. When I searched for it, I found the original painting on a website called the Library Company of Philadelphia. Here you can see an album about this brewery, with 37 lithograph illustrations on display. It is said to have been published around 1890.

The aspect ratio of the following transformed figure needs to be adjusted.


Of course, it is the nature of fans to want the model. When I searched for it, I found the following:

Clover House dry transfer
cloverhouse.com/Cart/product_info.php?products_id=11329&osCsid=h4gcuk5h6h78s60vqm9m9n29mq

Art Griffin Decals
www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/custom-ho-bergner-engel-beer-car-509243382

CustomTrainBoss?
www.ebay.com/itm/266479384138

Modern Rails Decals for Model Trains
modernrails.com/products/bergner-engel-brewers-wooden-reefer-car-ho-decal-set

E-Z Catch Train Shop (O-scale)
e-zcatch.square.site/product/bergnerengelezcatchcustomreefer102/597?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=true&q=false
ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/e-z-catch-train-shop-custom-mth-premier-woodsided-36-reefers

Unfortunately, the atmosphere of each model is different from the illustration. The prototype is from the 1880s, so it has a short length (how many ft does it have?). This is not yet the era when air brakes and automatic couplers were installed. It is unclear how the ice will be delivered.

By the way, the problem is the wording written on the side. "Grand Prize. Paris. 1878." and "Centennial Exposition Philadelphia 1876" are not consistent. I think this is a mistake because the medal depicting a woman's profile is from "Exposition Universelle de Paris 1878." Details of this medal and the Phoenix logo are available on the internet. I want proper TrueType fonts.

When scratchbuilding the car body in HO-scale, the radial roof seems difficult. We can get the trucks and queen posts from Titchy Train Group.

[Christian]

Jan 18, 2024 11:54:10 GMT -8 bn7023 said:

The prototype is from the 1880s, so it has a short length (how many ft does it have?)

27, 30, or 34 feet. In HO scale Labelle Woodworking, Micro-Trains, and Blackstone have suitable starting points. Labelle is wood - Micro-Trains and Blackstone are plastic. They are narrow gauge, but in that time frame that was only a matter of trucks. A radial roof is a matter of sandpaper and new end trim. (Yes, Micro-Trains has some HO scale stuff.)

[edwardsutorik]

I recommend getting a copy of John H. White, Jr.'s "The American Railroad Freight Car". A cover note says "From the Wood Car Era to the Coming of Steel".

From drawings and captions in the book, it appears a typical boxcar (of the time) would be about 28' long and 8' - 6" wide.

The same dimensions hold for a drawing of a Burlington reefer of 1884. The hatches appear to be flush, and similar to the rest of the roof. So: "invisible"


Ed

[lvrr325]

would have to do some research but there are quite a few old wood kits, LaBelle, Ambroid, etc. that would have suitable roof stock as well. A lot of those old kits have almost no value these days, you could get one for $10 or less and have your starting point.

[locochris]

Excited to see the final result. I also did not know Micro-trains made HO stuff. I wish someone like Tangent/Moloco/Rapido would make cars from that era, but I know there probably wouldn't be a lot of demand. I just find that time period very interesting.

[Christian]

Jan 18, 2024 21:31:11 GMT -8 locochris said:

Excited to see the final result. I also did not know Micro-trains made HO stuff. I wish someone like Tangent/Moloco/Rapido would make cars from that era, but I know there probably wouldn't be a lot of demand. I just find that time period very interesting.

Tangent does have a pre WWI tank car, but in only one early paint scheme. Through my whole hobby life I've toyed with both the 1840s and 1890s. But there would be way too much scratch building needed with almost no commercial parts, wheels, trucks, or locomotives that I could afford.

[edwardsutorik]

Mantua/Tyco dabbled in the field back in the Olden Dayes:

hoseeker.net/mantuainformation/mantuabrochure1962pg09.jpg

and there's the famous General:

victorianweb.org/cv/models/apg/locos/2a.jpg

Locomotives should be findable in brass. I do recall someone did a set with the two engines that met at Promontory Utah.


In many ways, it will be easy to do those early years, as things were much simpler. In scratchbuilding a freight car, about all you'll need to find is trucks and link-and-pin couplers (Alexander, for example). Everything else can be made with Evergreen (my choice).

I do wonder if a source of trucks might be putting longer bolsters in HOn3 sideframes. If you think Code 110 treads look bad under your modern tank car, think how they'll look under THESE teeny cars. Wheel sets will be interesting.


The big hurdle will be the research. Which can be fun. When I got my copy of the book I mentioned above, I read it "cover to cover" (not just picture-looking).


Another plus is not too many people are going to say it's-a-fooby. Partly because few of us would even know, plus there was incredible variety (within many constraints) back then. New, and sometimes good, ideas were everywhere. It was cutting edge technology.


Oh, yeah. TRACK. You really should be using Code 40 rail. Good news is you'll be building stub switches, that don't need those PITA points to shape.



Ed

[gevohogger]

Jan 18, 2024 21:31:11 GMT -8 locochris said:

I also did not know Micro-trains made HO stuff.

Unfortunately, there's only one item listed on their website at this time (a flatcar load).

[bn7023]

A reefer drawing from the 1880s was found. This is the 1888 edition of Car Builder's Dictionary (Google Books collection). It's called an "Ayer Rubber Refrigerator Car," and its structure is quite different from the ice bunker we imagine. The exterior dimensions of the car, excluding accessories, are 28-ft long and 8.625-ft wide. The height of the roof walk above the rail top is 11.927-ft. The eave height above the bottom edge of the side plate is 8.257-ft on a pro rata basis. (Click here to enlarge the PNG file)


In addition, patent information for the Ayer reefer is available at the National Museum of American History.

Ayer's patent model of refrigerator car - 1876
americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_1063788

Apparently it is mentioned in a book that explains the early days of refrigerated cars.

The Great Yellow Fleet: A History of American Railroad Refrigerator Cars
www.amazon.com/Great-Yellow-Fleet-American-Refrigerator/dp/0870950916

I think the 1870s-1910s are an interesting era, before air brakes and automatic couplers became widespread. The rolling stocks are small and suitable for operation. Car & Locomotive Cyclopedia series was first published in 1879. Please see the list I created. Some of them can be downloaded for free.
tplibrary.seesaa.net/article/441961059.html

[bn7023]

"Tiffany Summer & Winter Car" is also listed in the same 1888 edition of the Car Builder's Dictionary. It is letterd "Commercial Express Fast Freight Line." The length of the car would be about 27-ft.

Lionel products include models with this lettering. However, the style is too new.

The Tiffany car is also featured on page 18 of "Billboard Refrigerator Cars" by Richard H. Hendrickson and Edward S. Kaminski. Burlington Cedar Rapids and Northern R.W. 5015, built in 1888, 34-ft. I think it's 27-30 feet long.

Tiffany cars were also supplied to a 3-foot gauge railroad. According to the DSP&P commentary website, they were manufactured in 1880 (26-ft long) and 1883 (27-ft long). Perhaps because of the abundance of information available, many model products were sold. Judging from the appearance of the grab irons and brake equipment, all of these must have been modified in later years. 635