I just read Andy Hummell's post mentioning the 3 B reefer from Atlas, and it prompted me to ask this.
How many of all these beer reefers are of beers that are still being made?
I'm not asking for a beer by beer breakdown, but generally, are these little known beers generally still made?
I am familiar with all the international brands like Bud,Miller etc etc. but there seems to be a huge variety unknown to me.

Maybe the thing to do would be to go to Dave's website and count them.... www.toytrains1.com.... he has all of the reefers posted there..... I can get it started - Coors for one; Pabst for two....

Hi Mr Muffin, that link doesn't work for me sadly.

Unfortunately, many of the original regional breweries went out of business a long time ago. However, many new breweries have appeared in the past twenty years or so, although they are too late to appear on a reefer, at least prototypically.

We are probably in the golden age of craft brewing right now. Lucky us.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Allen:
Hi Mr Muffin, that link doesn't work for me sadly.

Get rid of the 3 periods at the end.

http://www.toytrains1.com/

Stu

quote:

Originally posted by Spencerville RR:
Unfortunately, many of the original regional breweries went out of business a long time ago. However, many new breweries have appeared in the past twenty years or so, although they are too late to appear on a reefer, at least prototypically.

We are probably in the golden age of craft brewing right now. Lucky us.

That's good news. It's happening here too. With the advent of micro breweries about 30 years ago, they are everywhere.
You would think with the way major international alcohol makers are always buying each other out, that the brands would shrink, but it hasn't happened on that scale either. They try to get market share by more brands and varieties.
As you say, lucky us.

Stu, thanks.

I run one consist of nothing but woodsided beer reefers, starting off with the Natty Boh reefer of course. It has 48 Atlas and MTH Premier reefers, and a MTH B&O operating caboose, all being pulled by a K-Line Scale B&O Mikado that is converted to a PS-2 with a MTH smoke unit in it. I don't know how many are still being produced or not, don't know if I really care, all I know that you have to be real careful around beer reefers, they are addictive! LOL!

quote:

Originally posted by VaGolfer1950:
I don't know how many are still being produced or not, don't know if I really care, ...

My sentiments exactly!

quote:

... all I know that you have to be real careful around beer reefers, they are addictive! LOL!

You got that right... I have the fever, too. Fortunately, my case is not so strong as to have the urge to buy every beer reefer I see, although I absolutely can not pass up a reefer decorated with a brand I'm familiar with.

Gotta love the microbrewery revolution, too!

Andy

Dave, all of these old beer reefers from Atlas a based on archived photos of reefers during the first third of the last century. These brands were brewed up until the 2nd World war when all the men went off to fight and the women were left at home. Apparently they had more delicate taste buds than we guys do and there was a big decline in regional breweries w/ a few major brands being all that was left by the 50s, all of which had changed their recipes to make their beer more palatable to the women. Bummer. We here in the U. S. have taken a large step back in time over the last 20 years w/ the advent of hundreds of micro breweries, most of which produce beer that's actually drinkable.

Beer drinkers have more choice now than ever. I like real beer my favorite was made by the Fox River brewery it was named after me "Old Codger Ale". I am from Milwaukee and I ought to know my beer.

quote:

Originally posted by beertrain:
Dave, all of these old beer reefers from Atlas a based on archived photos of reefers during the first third of the last century. These brands were brewed up until the 2nd World war when all the men went off to fight and the women were left at home. Apparently they had more delicate taste buds than we guys do and there was a big decline in regional breweries w/ a few major brands being all that was left by the 50s, all of which had changed their recipes to make their beer more palatable to the women. Bummer. We here in the U. S. have taken a large step back in time over the last 20 years w/ the advent of hundreds of micro breweries, most of which produce beer that's actually drinkable.

Beertrain, thanks for that, now I know. I think it's great of Atlas to do this series. I'll buy some too.You know, I hear people make fun of American beer sometimes, and I hear jokes about some British beers. But, I have spent a bit of time in America over the years, and also a lot of other places, and I've never tasted a bad beer yet. Some are better than others, that's all.

It was the invention of the beer can that effectively doomed the small regional breweries. Unlike bottles, cans were cheap to manufacture and non-returnable. The reduction in shipping weight allowed large national breweries to economically ship beer all over the country. This and huge advertising budgets doomed the locals. As others have pointed out, the locals are making a strong comeback as sales of microbrews climb.

Rick

quote:

Originally posted by Tedttrain:
Beer drinkers have more choice now than ever. I like real beer my favorite was made by the Fox River brewery it was named after me "Old Codger Ale". I am from Milwaukee and I ought to know my beer.

They sure do but I just make my own

This weekend, is my annual Oktoberfest in November Party. 14 Flavors of homebrew. That should satisfy most guests choices and if it doesn't I just give them a can of bud light so they can be mocked by everyone else.

Hey, I don't know if it's true or not but Benjamin Franklin is alleged to have said; "Beer is proof that God wants man to be happy."

quote:

Originally posted by Rick:
As others have pointed out, the locals are making a strong comeback as sales of microbrews climb.

Part of this revolution is the re-discovery by the average beer drinker that fresh beer just plain tastes better than a mass produced, pasteurized beer that has been sitting in a warehouse somewhere for who-knows-how-long. That is why homebrew is so good. You can't get any fresher than that.

Back to the topic of reefers, I'm hoping for more MTH Premier 36' reefers featuring more modern brands and craft brews, like Yuengling, Samuel Adams, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Stone Ruination IPA, Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale, Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale, Erie Railbender, Erie Derailed Black Cherry Ale, Anchor Steam, just to name a few (I could go on and on and on). And I'd like them to be for separate sale and not in sets with engines and cabooses that I do not need or want...

I'd like it even more if Atlas did them, but since they only do prototypical stuff unless contracted for a special run (like the Natty Boh run), I'll happily buy the ones they do make (recently picked up a Ballantine Ale car that Ben must have missed ).


Andy

I have stayed away from Beer Reefers right from the beginning because I knew it would get out of hand..and son of a gun it did, railking,premier, tinplate, uncataloged yikes.

But I am waiting for these 2

quote:

Hi Mr Muffin, that link doesn't work for me sadly.

Sorry, Dave, it's not a link.... we doesn't like it when we link to his site - just key the URL in.....

I am looking for a modern Pabst Blue Ribbon reefer. Has one been made?

Jim

Sort of. Lionel did a traditional-sized one with a modern-style Pabst logo as part of its beer and liquor series during the MPC era. I think KMT/Kusan may have also made a modern style Pabst car. As far as I know, that's it. The only scale Pabst cars I've seen are the Atlas and MTH woodside ones with the Prohibition-era ads for "malt beverages."

I have just gotten bit by the Atlas wood sided reefer bug thanks to you guys. Now I feel I have to have em all and not just the beer reefers. I need help fast. Just received my Ballantine reefer and a Krey's ham and bacon reefer. I figure beer,ham and bacon sound good together.

Getting back on topic, like has been said many of the brands that are on the wood sided reefers are gone now. To me brands that are no longer available makes the collection that much more interesting, kind of like the fallen flags of beer.