Post by af3020 on Jul 11, 2023 21:39:42 GMT
In the pre-war period various toy train manufacturers did, from time to time, produce cars which were not scale in terms of size/length but which did have graphics that exactly or very closely matched the real thing.
In addition to the Bing/Fandor/Marklin beer cars (see the subject “I’m Only Here for the Beer”) and the American Flyer and Ives copies of the Merchant Despatch cars (see the posting “The Interface Between Prototype and Toy” over in the subject “Other brands of tinplate?”) there were other cases where the toy train copied the prototype graphics.
Billboard Reefers
Bing exported two billboard reefers to the U.S. market with markings for Cudahy and Swift.
Bing Cudahy Reefer
Atlas Scale Model
Side A
Side B
As you can see the Bing car is a very close approximation to the Atlas model...at least as far as side A is concerned. Cudahy had a whole series of billboard cars with the Dutch Cleanser ad on one side and Sunlight products on the other. The Dutch Cleanser graphics changed and there were cars with the woman and with the phrase "Chases Dirt" as on the Bing car. I haven't seen a picture of the prototype with the exact Bing markings but, given Bing's attention to detail I think it is a very good possibility that such a Dutch Woman graphic existed. The only "disappointment" is Bing apparently didn't know about the asymmetrical side graphics or perhaps they thought that would be too much trouble to make for the toy train market.
Bing Swift Reefer
Prototype Picture
As you can see Bing's model of the Swift reefer is almost an exact copy of the real thing.
Ives Union Line
Atlas Scale Model
It would appear Ives found the general graphics and colors of the actual Union Line cars to their liking, however, they apparently chose to go with Merchandise Car instead of Dairy Products Refrigerator. I say apparently because, while the PRR made Union Line boxcars, I don't know if the Union Line boxcars had the same paint scheme as the reefers. My guess is this is not the case and it is based on the general practice of different basic paint schemes for reefers and boxcars.
...and an example of prototype modeling in the pre-war period
Model Railroader Magazine began publishing in 1934 and the Craftsman magazine (later Railroad Model Craftsman) had an even earlier start publication date. The desire to have trains on a layout which more closely represented the real thing was just as strong in the 20's and 30's as it is today and the pages (and covers) of Model Railroader and Craftsman featured pictures of model railroads with cars and locomotives which had been kitbashed using toy trains as a basis.
The car above is a kitbash from that period. Underneath the elaborate hand painting lurks an American Flyer NYC Merchant Despatch Reefer
There are several things about the kitbash which I find interesting.
First is the paint scheme - yellow sides , black and white banner and boxcar red ends.
Second - the citation for Elyria equipment. This company did exist and like other manufactures of refrigeration equipment their product was advertised on sides of actual refrigerator cars.
Prototype picture - Elyria markings
Third - some time ago Lionel offered a Freeport Milk Product reefer. It's color scheme was white sides with a red and white banner. It has all of the same markings and statements as the kitbashed car except there is no mention of Elyria equipment on its sides. I don't know anything about how Lionel chose the color scheme for their car but unless there is some evidence they did research and identified the white side/red banner as true to prototype I would suspect the kitbashed car is a closer representation of how the actual car looked.
