In a previous post I mentioned receiving a pair of PFE reefers from Lok-n-Roll of Germany - an R-40-27 and an R-40-28 in the 1960 Gothic lettering scheme. As I promised then, I'll now briefly review the models. Before I launch into it, though, I do want to say that although I may criticise something or other, I do it whilst being very appreciative of the fact that such models are even being made available in TT scale.
One cool thing about the way Lok-n-Roll are producing their models is that each is, in a certain sense, a one-off: only one example of a given road number is produced. The models I received are PFE 10948 (R-40-27) and PFE 11734 (R-40-28). The overall impression on looking at the models from a few feet away is pretty good. The R-40-27 and -28 were, apart from the doors, identical, so the following observations were taken (mostly) from an inspection of my -27.
Length over the roof of these cars was 41' 5-1/8" (12627 mm), the model scales out to 40' 0" (12192 mm) over the roof. This is understandable given that the underframe used is that of the Gold Coast Models 1937 AAR boxcar, but a foot and a half is a significant difference; however, given that the sides were made specifically new for these models, it's a bit disappointing that they were shortened to accomodate the existing underframe, instead of making a new one at the correct length - especially at the rather steep price of €119 each (US$140, C$185 as of 9/9/2020). Consequent to the use of the shorter underframe, the truck centres are also short, at 30' 6" (9296.4 mm) on the model as opposed to the prototypical 31' 8-3/4" (9671 mm). From top of rail to the top of the running board, the model measures out to 13' (3962.4 mm), compared to the prototype's 13' 7-15/32" (4152.1 mm) - noticeable, but not terribly so. The width is certainly close enough, with the model being 9' 6" (2895.6 mm) as compared to 9' 8-3/4" (2965.5 mm).
The rivet pattern on the right side of the door is essentially correct - but to the left of the door, it's mirrorred from how it should be. This isn't really a big deal, as you'll only really notice this with magnification. I like the size of the rivets; I don't care to measure them, but they're big enough that you'll perceive their presence, but small enough to not overpower - so, overall, they look right, which is the most important thing, IMO.
Grabs, ladders, and stirrups are nice and fine, separately attached; the end stirrups aren't shaped exactly right, but that's only something you'll notice if you know to notice it. The roof, running board, and ice hatches are correct and look good, as are the ends. The only issue here is that the model comes with an (approximately) Universal brake wheel; per the photos I've seen, R-40-27s and -28s had an Ajax wheel. Happily, these exist in TT scale, so this is easily fixed.
The distinctive triple door is executed decently. At 6' in width, the door is correct - for the R-40-27. This becomes an issue with the model of the R-40-28, which uses the same sides with the six-foot doors, where in reality the -28 had eight-foot doors.
Paint colours match the colour chips in the PFE book quite closely - the orange on the model is just a touch too red, but IMO the difference is well within 'tolerance'. The lettering and heralds are placed and shaped correctly for the 1960 Gothic scheme, and is sharp enough to make out the dimensional and capacity stencilling, though text smaller than that is illegible.
Overall, then, I think these models are quite decent, certainly fitting the parts they want to play, as aside from the length, there is essentially the only one very glaring error, and that applies only to one of the two models - the width of the door. But the general impression that they give is good - you can tell at once that you're looking at an R-40-27. The price is, of course, on the high side, but this is to be expected when buying from European small-series manufacturers in any scale, let alone something as niche as North American TT scale - so it's something that, if you want to model NA in TT, you'll have to swallow. That said, I don't feel like it's an unreasonable price, as, on balance, I'm satisfied with my models.
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