Refrigerated Boxcars (also known as Reefer Cars) are specially designed freight cars used to carry perishable goods at specific temperatures. Early wooden reefers gained popularity shortly after the Civil War and were mostly supplanted by lighter-weight steel reefers such as those shown here in the 1950s. Steel Reefers had a profound impact on the transportation and availability of perishable food products. Their cooler temperatures and better insulation ensured that perishable loads could remain fresh for longer, and therefore could reach further destinations than ever before. Many first-generation steel reefers were also retrofitted with mechanical cooling units. These improvements led to the development of the first specialty produce train in 1970, with Tropicana running an exclusive "Juice Train" from Florida to New Jersey, for onward distribution - a practice which it still relies on to this day. The Bachmann 50' Steel Reefer replicates cars in service from the 1950s through the 1970s and features blackened metal wheels, and E-Z Mate® Mark II couplers, with a range of vibrant, authentic paint schemes from which to choose.
