Pacific Fruit Express (PFE)

Pacific Fruit Express, commonly shortened to PFE, became one of the best-known refrigerated freight car operators in North America. Its refrigerator cars helped move fruit, vegetables, and other perishables from western growing regions to markets across the country.

For model railroaders, PFE reefers add instant color and purpose to freight consists, especially layouts focused on western railroads, produce traffic, packing houses, icing platforms, and classic refrigerator car service.

Collectors often search for PFE wood reefers, steel reefers, ice refrigerator cars, orange refrigerator cars, and Pacific Fruit Express boxcar-style freight equipment. These cars are especially useful for building realistic freight trains from the steam era through the diesel transition years.

Whether you need a single PFE reefer or a long string of refrigerator cars, Pacific Fruit Express models remain a strong choice for western freight operations.

Pacific Fruit Express cars have been produced by Lionel, Atlas, Athearn, Bachmann, InterMountain, Micro-Trains, Rapido, Walthers, and Bowser. Releases vary by scale, car type, paint scheme, and production run.

If you're looking for Pacific Fruit Express model trains for sale, our inventory may include new, pre-owned, vintage, collectible, retired, discontinued, and hard-to-find PFE refrigerator cars and freight equipment.

PFE collections often include refrigerator cars, freight sets, western railroad equipment, and rolling stock gathered over years of collecting. Trainz reviews qualifying collections and estate collections containing multiple pieces.

Find out how Trainz purchases collections.

Was Pacific Fruit Express a railroad?

No. Pacific Fruit Express was a refrigerated car company rather than a traditional railroad. It was closely associated with Southern Pacific and Union Pacific, which makes PFE cars especially popular on western railroad layouts.

What are the most collectible Pacific Fruit Express models?

Collectors often search for PFE reefers, wood refrigerator cars, steel refrigerator cars, ice reefers, orange Pacific Fruit Express cars, and freight cars used in produce service.

Who makes Pacific Fruit Express model trains?

Manufacturers including Lionel, Atlas, Athearn, Bachmann, InterMountain, Micro-Trains, Rapido, Walthers, and Bowser have produced Pacific Fruit Express refrigerator cars and freight equipment.

What does PFE stand for?

PFE stands for Pacific Fruit Express, one of the most recognizable refrigerator car names in model railroading.