Micro-Trains White Pass Refer
Micro-Trains HOn3
In this issue of the Model Section, we take a closer look at the Micro Trains HOn3 (1:87) scale reefer of the White Pass & Yukon Route.
Micro-Trains WP&YR Reefer 400 in HOn3 Scale
I never had such a HOn3 ready-to-run train like this one so well packed in a jewel plastic box. Inside, the car is packed again in a plastic liner and thus protected against any damage. Great!
Now let’s open the plastic box and have a closer look at the yellow and box car brown reefer. Micro-Trains offer two lettering versions of the reefer. I received WP&YR #400, order number 850 00 031. #402 has order number 850 00 032. List price for this car is US-$ 38.95. The paint is very sharp and perfectly applied. Micro-Trains added the White Pass speed logo on this car. One or two of the former C&S reefers were shipped via the United States Army to the White Pass. Still today it’s not clear if they arrived as reefers in Skagway or just as flat cars. So we can’t prove the correctness of the lettering details. But in any case, the lettering style is fully White Pass and looks perfect in any White Pass train on your HOn3 layout. The side ladders as well as the grab irons are made of Delrin.
Micro-Trains WP&YR 400 Reefer Side View
The paint is very sharp and perfectly applied.
Micro-Trains WP&YR 400 Reefer Top View
The side ladders as well as the grab irons are made of Delrin.
The underframe has full detail and the brake systems look like its ready to brake. This car has more underframe and front details than you normally see on HO gauge freight cars. Micro-Trains sets high level standards like dedicated model builders have. Roof and hand rail have the same great quality.
The cars are equipped with the original Magne-Matic coupler system. They are working perfectly with Kadee’s #714. My car runs smoothly on Shinohara as well as Micro Engineering HOn3 code 70 or 40 track. The included plastic Bettendorf trucks even have the brake shoes as details.
Micro-Trains WP&YR 400 Reefer Underframe View
he underframe has full detail and the brake systems look like its ready to brake.
This HOn3 reefer is the first ready-to-run freight car ever built in HOn3 gauge for the White Pass fans. Hopefully Micro-Trains will plan another White Pass car in the future if sales grow correspondingly.
My only criticism concerns the prototype description on the box and I hope that next time they will ask us before printing it. Micro-Trains writes on the box that most equipment of the WP&YR has been advertised for sale. I guess this was after they closed their operation in 1982. Today the WP&YR has more than 450.000 passengers on their summer excursion trains.
The new Micro-Trains HOn3 White Pass reefer is a must for every HOn3 layout. You will be pleased if you order those two reefers 400 and 402.
Check out their web site at http://www.micro-trains.com
