Ralston Purina, 40' wood reefer (Tyco/Hong Kong)

MRS 4554, Manufacturers Railway. Co. of St. Louis, NEW 7-56
Ralston Purina Co., Checkerboard Chow and Cereals
Tyco/Hong Kong billboard reefer 40 foot stock#355E (Tony Cook's website)











See MR General forum

According to the appendix to George Allen's O scale model (M.R.S. 2441), which appears in the Nov. 1940 issue of MR magazine, page 456, it is as follows.
Roof, ends, and facia, tuscan. Sides, white with red squares. Panel on right, light blue with white lettering. Other lettering, black.



Above is the model photo that first appeared in MR magazine, an HO scale kit from Laconia Industries (Mar. 1953 issue page 35). According to the product introduction (Sept. issue p14 of the same year), "According to the manufacturer, the prototype was converted from a refrigerator car into a box car. The round roof exhibits four ventilators in place of conventional ice hatches common to refrigerator cars. The reefer doors, however, were not altered, and are therefore shown on the model. "　See also the instruction sheets on HOseeker.net

Next is a photo of the prototypes. Five cars that appear to be the same can be seen.

page 22 of the "40' Wood Reefer Collector's Guide" by Atlas O, LLC 2004

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2021-03-05 サイドのハシゴとステップ部分の模様修正。床板改造。20グラムを補重
2021-03-06 床板加工、ツヤ消しブラック塗装。手ブレーキハンドルを補足
2021-03-07 屋根と妻面に濃茶色塗装（コーヒーブラウン、D2オリジナル）
2021-03-09 車体全体にツヤ消しクリアを塗装
2022-09-11 実車写真を追加