for vent service, an operating feature described in Part One of
this column.
The Red Caboose ice hatches have plugs molded on the under-
side, as do the ice hatches of some other makers of refrigerator
car models. I painted them light gray before installation.
I think the opening angle of the hatches here, which corresponds
to the top of the kit’s latch bars, is a little too high, and I will
probably arrange my next model a little lower. But this arrange-
ment does offer an interesting variation in your reefer fleet.
Ice service cars.
Throughout its history, PFE needed to
move ice from places where it was plentiful to places with
30: This ice service car is spotted at the ice unloading
door of the ice house at Shumala. Its ice hatch openings
have been blanked off and lettering changed for its ser-
vice assignment. This is a modified Red Caboose car. The
white placard at the left of the car side reads “PFE ICE
SERVICE RETURN TO LOS ANGELES WHEN EMPTY,”
and is available in the new Microscale 87-501 set.
30
