Can you identify these cars?

These four cars were part of the deal when I received my original layout as a Christmas gift back in 1968 (when I was six!).

Thus, all four models date to before 1968.

The NYC Pacemaker and Swift cars are of plastic body construction.

The Illinois Central reefer has a metal body.

The SP/PFE reefer has a wood body covered with a printed paper livery.

Anybody know what manufacturer made these models? Do you know the kit number? Or where I could find out?

Thanks!

Could be Varney…

Craig:

I’m unsure about the first two, but I think that the PFE and IC reefers might be old Varney cars, the PFE a pre-war, and the IC a post-war when Varney changed over to metal bodies.

I know that Greenburg has a book on Varney products that covers the entire span of Varney manufacturer. Perhaps one of your LHS might have a copy you can go through.

Just a guess, mind you.

Tom

The first car appears to be from Athearn, although the door track attachment holes for it are different than what appeared on slightly later cars. The Swift reefer is definitely from Athearn.

The IC reefer looks to me to be a Varney car, while the PFE car may be an earlier Varney, or perhaps Megow. A lot of manufacturers offered cars of similar construction, so this one may be the hardest to track down.

Wayne

I know this may not be of help but, these pictures got my attention. Last week while I was looking through an ancient note book which recorded the freight cars I owned when I was about 13 ( 1953), I found a list which recorded type and manufacturer. I then dug deep into the attic and found some of them. I am looking at them as I write this post.

Varney:

Bill board Pabst reefer with metal siding and roof, plastic under frame and plastic ladders

Main Potatoes reefer with metal siding and roof and metal under frame and plastic ladders

Athearn:

PFE reefer with metal siding and roof and metal under frame with wood insert and metal ladders.

Roller Freight box car with metal siding and roof and metal under frame with wood insert and metal ladders.

I do not know when Athearn switched to plastic, but my box car and yours look very similar.
The closest match is my Varney Main Potatoes reefer and your M. D. T. reefer.

With regard to the Athearn PFE reefer that I found in the attic, I recently purchased 12 Accurail PFE wood ( Plastic construction) reefers to begin a reefer block that my AC-12 can pull at the local modular club. I was excited to find another one from the past which I repaired and weathered this week. It actually looks better than the 12 new ones which have cast on ladders and grab irons.

Peter Smith, Memphis

I am adding photos. I am sorry they are not as good as Craig’s. The third picture shows my old Athearn PFE on the left and my new Accurail PFE on the right.



The first car, NYC, is Athern from when the door guides were made of stamped metal, I still have some of these cars.

The second, Swift, is also an Athern refer. The protrutions at the doors are part of the hinge which ingages in slots in the doors. This arrangement was quite delicate. I still have one PFE car, intresting on a siding with doors open.

I think the third, PFE, is Varney all though printed paper sides were common during and pre WWII.

You stated the IC car metal but not what type. If brass, my guess is Silver Streak or Globe. If pot metal Mantua. BTW Globe was the original marketer of F7 shell Athern used for so many years.

Hope this helps, Rob

Thanks for all the insights, guys.

In a bizarre way, this is kind of exciting. I feel like Sir Whats’isname who dug up Tut but w/o all that annoying mummy curse stuff.

A little more insight on the IC car, if it helps:

The car body sides are metal but the ends and rooftop are plastic.

Craig, my Varney cars are identfied by name under the frame. My Athearn cars are not because the steel frame has a wood insert under the frame. This may be of some help. If the cars are not Athearn they may like Varney be identified underneath. The Varney markings were very hard to see.

Peter Smith, Memphis

That was the first thing I did but there isn’t so much as a number stamped or molded anywhere on the cars.

Maybe there’s something inside, but I’m not going to take them apart.

Thanks,

I just Googled the road number of the Swift reefer and turned up all kinds of stuff.

It’s Athearn alright – shoulda done this in the first place!

Here is the first thing that turned up. It’s on eBay