Geoff Gooderham (Canada) CPR Express Reefer


Geoff Gooderham resin car kits used to be sold through Central Hobbies (Vancouver). However, that store has closed, so the only way to get them now is to contact Geoff directly (by way of his "Angus Shops" alias on The Railwire)

The Canadian Pacific Railway had three series of wood-sided / steel-underframe express reefers built between 1917 and 1929. These cars measured 45' over the strikers.

Series 1 was built in 1917/18 with numbers 5500 to 5599. The distinguishing characteristic of this series is that the side and end boards reach all the way down to the bottom, hiding the steel sill. The trucks are also unique to this series. They originally had wooden roofs.

Series 2a was built in 1922 with numbers 5600 to 5649. This series and the later ones had the side sill on the bottom exposed (visible). Trucks have bolted on pedestals.

Series 2b was built in 1926 with numbers 5650 to 5699. They were identical to series 2a except that the trucks had cast side frames.

Series 3 was built in 1929 with numbers 5700 to 5749. They featured a shorter bolster to bolster distance and trucks with outside brakes. The earlier cars had inside brakes.

Series 1 and 2 had Gothic lettering when delivered. Series 3 came with Roman lettering in gold. All had a beaver crest on the left side. The beaver crests were discontinued in the early 1930's and Series 1 cars were rebuilt with steel roofs. Wooden roof hatches were replaced with steel ones beginning in the 1930's. Later, from 1944 on, the roof platforms were removed, new hatches installed, one more grab iron added on the left side and a step was added under the doors. From 1947 on the lettering was changed to yellow. These cars remained in passenger service until the mid-1960's. Some were renumbered to freight service and saw service until the late 1970's. The main job for express reefers was transporting high class merchandise in passenger trains.


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