Walthers - 932-8000 - Reefer, 76 Foot, Cryogenic, Gunderson - Undecorated

Model Information: In the 1990s, Walthers decided that they should develop their own toolings in China to manufacture their own rolling stock. In the past they had imported N Scale rolling stock from European manufacturers such as Roco with their own paint schemes and packaging, but China was new. Many other manufacturers were able to vastly reduce their costs by working with Sanda Kan, Kader and other Hong Kong based manufacturers to produce good quality plastic rolling stock and locomotives and them importing them to the United States.

This is an example of one of the handful of toolings Walthers developed to be produced in China and imported with Walthers branding. It is not particularly special. These cars are similar in terms of mold detail to the stuff being put out by Roco, Atlas, Rivarassi, Mehano, Lima etc since the late 1960s. The printing is 1990s grade which is to say a lot better than 1967. They feature the ubiquitous truck-mounted Rapido couplers with low-profile plastic wheels. Either because it wasn't very popular or Walthers was able to keep exclusive rights to the tooling, this model was never imported by Life-Like, Model Power or anyone else.

Atlas Model Railroad announced in May 2021 a series release of these recently acquired models from Walthers - estimated delivery date 2nd-quarter 2022.

Prototype History: In 1985, Cryo-Trans, Inc. entered the shipping world on American railroads. On August 12, 1986 a patent was filed for a Cryogenic Refrigeration System. Work began on CRYX No. 1200 in June 1987 at the Greenbrier Rail Services facility in Portland, Oregon. On July 1, the outer shell for the car was completed. The car was then sent to Gunderson Rail Services in Finley, Washington for work on the interior, cryogenic system, paint, and decals. On November 10, the patent for the cryogenic system was approved (Pat. No. 4,704,876). A Canadian patent was also filed by Cryo-Trans that year, but was not approved until December 18, 1990 (Pat. No. C 127784).

Cryogenic reefers work by having a cryogenic liquid (CO2 I believe) injected into the car, which circulates inside the walls, roof, and floor to keep things frozen.

Road Name History: Although they may be molded in color, unpainted and unlettered, undecorated products are marketed to modelers who seek to custom decorate their models for private roads and/or road and/or company names that were not commercially produced by any of the major manufacturers.

Undecorated models are frequently also unassembled or only partially assembled and required modelers to be comfortable with glue, paint and sometimes solder in order to prepare their models for display. Materials for these models can vary but often include plastic, pewter and resin. Models may or may not come with decals or other decorations such as plastic signage, railings and ladders to enhance the appearance of the final product.

Brand/Importer Information: Wm. K. Walthers, Inc., was founded in Milwaukee in 1932 -- but really, it started years earlier, when seven-year-old Bill Walthers got his first taste of the hobby with a small, wind-up toy train for Christmas. He continued with the hobby and eventually had an attic layout comprised primarily of his own scratch-built creations. After he wrote a series of articles on building train control and signaling systems, he got so many letters from other modelers that he began manufacturing them. The first ad (in the May issue of The Model Maker) offered a 24-page, 15c catalog that listed rail, couplers, and electrical supplies. Sales were over $500.00 for the first year, and the fledgling company was off to a strong start.

Within five years, Walthers had grown so much that larger quarters were needed. Space was found on Erie Street, where everything -- from milled wood parts to metal castings to decals -- was made in-house. 1937 also saw a new line in HO Scale, featured in its own catalog. Bill brought operating layouts to the 1939 World's Fair, which gave the hobby a big boost. Soon, though, the growing possibility of war overshadowed these successes, and supplies were becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.

During the war, model manufacturers were ordered to stop production in order to conserve critical metal supplies. Walthers produced what it could from nonessential materials. A series of ads in 1943 saw Bill literally scraping the bottom of a barrel! The postwar boom meant rapid growth for the hobby; however, small homes and new families left no room for O scale layouts, and many modelers moved to HO Scale.

The next twenty years brought great change. In 1958, Bill retired and his son Bruce took over. Just as full-size railroads were being hard-hit by new technology, so too were model railroads. Leisure time was spent in front of the TV set, not the train set. In 1960, Walthers became a full-line distributor of other manufacturers' products while continuing expansion of the Walthers lines. By the start of the 1970's, business was booming again, and Bruce's son Phil joined the company.

Expansion and diversification continue under Phil's tenure. The establishment of the Walthers Importing Division added several international lines. The manufacturing plant was modernized. Code 83 track was introduced in 1985, giving layouts more realistic proportions. In 1990, the Cornerstone Series buildings were unveiled. Combining a freight car with a related industry, the Cornerstone Series makes it possible for modelers to duplicate authentic operations, enhancing layout realism. The Train Line Deluxe Sets and locomotives debuted in 1994. These sets feature the detailing of serious models and an affordable price -- allowing newcomers to get started, and then build-on to their first set, rather than replacing it.

In 2005, Walthers purchased Life-Like from Lifoam Industries. With this purchase Walthers acquired the Proto Lines that have become the backbone of their locomotive and rolling stock segments.

Today, Walthers continues to expand, improve and develop a wide range of products. Their latest selection can be found throughout Walthers.com and their printed catalogs, along with items from over 300 other manufacturers.

In December 2017, Lowell Smith announced the ‘purchase of tooling’ of the Walthers line of N Scale passenger cars (sleeper, coach and baggage cars), and in June 2018, Atlas announced that it will purchase all N scale locomotive and rolling stock tooling owned by Walthers, including the Walthers N tooling as well as former Life-Like tooling. This divestment puts an end to Walthers involvement as a manufacturer of N scale rolling-stock, though it will continue its range of N scale structures.