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The Westerfield HO 1913 PRR Reefer replicates Pennsylvania Railroad’s Class R7 refrigerator car in 1:87 scale. This resin kit features wooden body construction, ice hatches, and period-correct details. Built between 1913-1914, these 36-foot cars served PRR’s perishable freight network until the 1930s.
Pennsylvania Railroad introduced the Class R7 refrigerator car in 1913 to meet growing demand for perishable freight service between Midwest producers and East Coast markets. The PRR needed reliable equipment to compete for high-value traffic in meat, dairy, and produce.
These 36-foot wood-bodied cars represented a design improvement over earlier PRR reefers. The R7 featured larger ice bunkers at each end, providing approximately 6,000 pounds of ice capacity. This allowed the cars to maintain cold temperatures for longer hauls across PRR’s extensive network.
Construction followed typical practices for the era. Wood framing supported tongue-and-groove siding, with cork insulation between the walls. Steel center sills provided structural strength while keeping the cars light enough to maximize payload. The roof used sheet metal over wood framing, with prominent ice hatches for loading ice blocks.
PRR built over 7,000 R7 refrigerator cars during the 1913-1914 production run. The railroad also provided these cars to several subsidiaries including Fruit Growers Express and American Railway Express. Service life extended into the early 1930s, with many cars receiving updates like air brakes and steel roofs during their operational years.
The R7 design influenced later PRR refrigerator car classes. Its proven ice bunker layout and insulation methods carried forward into 1920s designs. By the mid-1930s, most R7s had been retired or converted to maintenance service as larger, steel-bodied reefers took over perishable freight duties.
Westerfield Models produces the 1913 PRR R7 reefer as kit #11600-series in HO scale. The company offers multiple versions covering different paint schemes and roof configurations. All versions use urethane resin castings rather than injection-molded plastic.
The kit includes a one-piece car body or flat castings depending on the specific version. One-piece bodies reduce assembly time and improve strength. Flat kits require more work but cost slightly less. Both approaches produce the same finished model.
Detail parts come pre-cast in resin. You get grab irons, brake rigging, ladders, ice hatch details, and door hardware. The castings capture fine details like wood grain texture and rivet patterns. Quality varies slightly between production runs, but most parts need minimal cleanup.
Westerfield kits do not include trucks, couplers, or wheelsets. You must purchase these separately. The instructions recommend specific Tahoe Model Works or Kadee products. Budget around $7-15 for trucks and couplers per car. Paint and decals come with decorated versions but not with undecorated kits.
The model measures approximately 5 inches long, matching the 36-foot prototype at 1:87 scale. Height and width dimensions follow PRR drawings. Westerfield’s research shows good accuracy for body proportions, door placement, and roof details.
Current pricing sits at $56 for decorated versions according to the March 2025 price list. Undecorated kits cost $1 less. Some paint schemes show “D” marking indicating decals available separately at $7. Availability changes as Westerfield produces kits in limited batches.
Resin requires different handling than plastic. Wash all parts in warm soapy water before starting. This removes mold release agents that prevent glue and paint adhesion. Let everything dry completely.
Use cyanoacrylate (CA) glue for resin assembly. Regular plastic cement won’t work. Thin CA works for small details. Medium or thick CA suits body assembly. Keep accelerator spray handy for setting joints quickly.
Test-fit all parts before gluing. Resin castings sometimes need minor adjustments. A hobby knife and fine sandpaper handle most fitting issues. The door openings occasionally need light filing to accept the door castings cleanly.
One-piece bodies go together faster than flat kits. Flat kits require careful alignment of sides, ends, and floor. Use a square to check corners. Small clamps or tape hold parts while CA cures. The roof fits last and may need gentle flexing to seat properly.
Detail parts are fragile. Grab irons and ladder rungs break easily. Handle them carefully and have backups ready. Drill holes slightly undersized for grab irons, then open them to fit. This prevents loose details.
The ice hatches use separate interior details. Install these before closing the roof. The kit includes false interior panels that show through the hatches when open. Paint these before installation.
Pennsylvania Railroad used Tuscan Red on freight cars during this era. Several manufacturers offer PRR Tuscan Red in bottles or spray cans. Scalecoat, Tru-Color, and Model Master all work. Test your chosen paint on scrap resin first.
Prime the model before painting. Gray automotive primer works well on resin. Light coats prevent obscuring details. Let each coat dry fully before adding the next.
Apply Tuscan Red in thin layers. Two or three coats provide better coverage than one thick coat. The underframe gets black paint. Trucks and couplers also receive black.
Decals require a gloss surface. Spray clear gloss over the base paint and let it cure for 24 hours. Westerfield decals are high-quality but need careful handling. Use setting solution to help decals conform to panel lines and rivets.
Lettering follows PRR standards for 1913-1914. The railroad name appears prominently on the car sides. Reporting marks, capacity data, and rebuild dates appear in specific locations. The kit instructions show correct placement.
Seal finished decals with clear flat or satin finish. This protects the decals and reduces shine. Weathering adds realism but isn’t required. Light chalk or airbrush weathering suits these cars. Focus on rust streaks near grab irons and dirt along the lower body panels.
The 1913 PRR reefer fits layouts set between 1913 and the early 1930s. These cars served through the Roaring Twenties, making them perfect for any 1920s railroad scene. By 1935, most had left revenue service, though some continued in maintenance roles.
PRR operated these reefers system-wide. They appeared on routes from Chicago to New York, serving packing plants, breweries, and produce terminals. A typical freight consist might include 3-5 reefers mixed with box cars and coal hoppers.
Reefer traffic followed seasonal patterns. Summer months saw heavy produce movements from agricultural regions. Winter brought meat traffic from Midwest packing houses. Your operating sessions can reflect these patterns with seasonal car assignments.
The R7s worked alongside other PRR freight cars. Pair them with Westerfield’s XL box cars, GL hoppers, and GRA gondolas for authentic consists. Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives like the H6 Consolidation or L1 Mikado provided typical power for mixed freights.
Interchange service was limited. PRR generally kept company reefers on home rails. You might occasionally see one on a connecting railroad near system boundaries, but this wasn’t common practice. Foreign road reefers (PFE, SFRD) appeared more frequently on PRR tracks than vice versa.
Station stops for ice loading add operational interest. The cars needed re-icing every 24-48 hours depending on weather. Your layout can include an ice platform where reefers stop for service. This creates switching moves and adds purpose to your operations.
Westerfield Models sells directly through their website at westerfieldmodels.com. The company produces kits in batches, so availability fluctuates. Phone orders (303-658-9343) sometimes locate kits not shown in stock online.
Hobby shops occasionally carry Westerfield products, though selection varies. Online retailers like Tangent Scale Models and Minuteman Scale Models stock some Westerfield kits when available. Prices match the manufacturer’s list, typically $56 for this model.
The secondary market offers another source. Check eBay, train show vendor tables, and railroad modeling forums. Prices vary widely from reasonable to inflated. Inspect used kits carefully for missing parts or started assemblies.
No direct ready-to-run equivalent exists for the 1913 PRR R7 reefer. Bachmann and Athearn produce generic old-time reefers, but these don’t match PRR prototype specifications. If you want an accurate 1913 PRR reefer, the Westerfield kit remains your only option.
Later PRR reefers appear in other manufacturers’ catalogs. Intermountain produces the PRR R7 in later configurations. Funaro & Camerlengo offers some PRR refrigerator car kits from different eras. These won’t substitute for the 1913 design if period accuracy matters to your layout.
Building resin kits requires more skill than assembling plastic kits or running ready-to-run models. First-time resin builders should expect a learning curve. Start with simpler Westerfield kits before tackling cars with complex details. The investment in time produces a model unavailable any other way.
The Westerfield 1913 PRR reefer brings accurate Pennsylvania Railroad equipment to transition-era layouts. With careful assembly and finishing, it delivers prototype fidelity that ready-to-run models can’t match.
