Crown Model Products Refrigerator Cars, "Reefers"

Crown Models made 16 S-Scale Refrigerator Cars. In addition, Doug Peck hand-decorated and sold a few #SR-7000 Undecorated Reefers. Unless otherwise specified, the large pictures are on this page are of cars in the collection of The Upstairs Train.

Doug Peck of Port Lines Hobby Supplies provided the following information about Crown Models and its product line:

"All the S-gauge cars made by CM were distributed by me (CM wanted no part in retail or wholesale sales, so all production went to me, and I did all the wholesale distribution, as well as direct retail sales). The only exceptions to that were a couple of additional road names which CM did as an exclusive run for a couple of businesses or organizations (such as NETCA---New England TCA). Those were sold direct to the group, by CM.

We produced only about a dozen different road names in S, each with three different car numbers, before CM dropped production and went out of business. They were available either scale or highrail (like
A.M.). Trucks and couplers on most cars were SHS, but there was a period when we had to use Downs trucks because SHS was out-of-stock for quite some time.

We made very few "prototypes", because most of the S cars had already been produced by CM in O gauge; thus there was no real need for an S prototype or pilot model. I think there were only a couple of true "pilot" models, and I have them myself."

SR-2001 Swift Refrigerator Line Reefer. The car numbers were 1031, 1035, and 1040.

SR-3009 Central Vermont Milk Service Reefer. The car numbers were 537, 542, and ___.

SR-4000 Western Pacific Ice Service Reefer The car numbers were 7059, 7064, and 7067.

SR-4700 Union Refrigerator Transit Bananas Reefer. The car numbers were 9830, 9840, and 9850.

SR-5000 UP Pacific Fruit Express Reefer. The car numbers were 60002, 60009, and 60603.

I have no picture of the SR-7000 Undecorated Reefer.

Undecorated Reefer hand done by Doug Peck similar to the later SR-4700 Bananas car.
(Photo courtesy of Tom Detmer)

Doug Peck tells the story of this car:
"Very early-on, I produced and sold some one-at-a-time painted and dry-transfer cars, using CM Undecs.
One of the cars we did that way was the Banana reefer. I used Clover House dry-transfers on that car
I don't recall how many I made and sold, but it wasn't a lot, probably less than a dozen.
It was NOT a prototype or "pilot" model. Later, we decided to do that car as a production-run car,
but the production model was identical to the CM O-gauge car, not to my hand-made cars."

SR-7002 West India Fruit & Steamship Company Reefer. The car numbers were 333, 399, and 499.

SR-8002 Hoods Milk Reefer. The car numbers were 822, 824, and 825.

SR-8004 A&P Milk Reefer. The car numbers were 737, 740, and 742.

SR-9003 Stroh's Beer Reefer. Doug told me the car numbers were 135, 136, and 142, but mine is #123.

SR-9006 Schlitz Beer Reefer. The car numbers were 3765, 3771 and ___.

SR-9050 Post Road Pale Ale Reefer. The car numbers were 20, 25, and 30.

SR-9505 Clicquot Club Reefer. The car numbers were 121108, 121125, and 121130.
In 1997, Crown Models made an O-Scale version of this car for NETCA, but there was no S-Scale version.
Crown Models later made it as their own product.

NETCA 2000 Berkshire Brewery Reefer.
(Photo courtesy of Tom Detmer)

Crown Models made the S-Scale version of this car for NETCA.
Lionel made the O-Scale version but the small S-Scale production run wasn't profitable enough for Lionel.
Due to the small production run, all cars had the same number.

2001 NETCA MOXIE Reefer
As with the 2000 Berkshire Brewery Reefer, Lionel made the O-Scale version and Crown the S-Scale.
Due to the small production run, all cars had the same number.
(Picture courtesy of Doug Peck, Port Lines Hobby Supplies.)

My first Crown Models car, the #25254 CM&StP Reefer made for the 25th Fall S-Fest.
There were four different numbers on these cars: 25253 through 25256.

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If you or your friends have some S-Scale trains from Crown Models, S-Helper Services, American Flyer, or American Models, and would like them to go to a nice home where they'll be loved and cared for, this is the place! Email me: theupstairstrain@gmail.com. See my Wish List for the items I need most. Thank you very much.

On the other side of the coin, I post pictures from time to time on my For Sale page of surplus items I have for sale.

This gallery will continue to grow and become more comprehensive as I collect more cars and as visitors like you send me pictures of the cars I don't yet have. If you have a car that you would like to share with the world, email me a picture: theupstairstrain@gmail.com. Click here for a list of the pictures I need to complete the Gallery.

The books I am using for reference are listed in the Bibliography page. All the writing and all the pictures on this website are, however, my own, except where cited. No copyrighted materials have been included and all pictures provided by others are used by permission.

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