Modeling wooden reefer

[Jock Ellis]

I'm doing some S gauge Swift reefers from plans in Model Railroader's soft cover 1954 HO book "Build Your Own Model Cars and Locos" that I've had 55 years and never built anything from it.
Would it be prototype to have scribed wood on the bottom on these wooden real life cars and which direction should the boards be running?

[Pete "Cosmo" Barrington]

Yes, scribed wood is appropriate, tho not very noticeable, on the bottom of the floors. The planks would run crosswise. I am guessing you're not going for opening doors? If you are, then the same applies to the TOP of the floor as well.

[Jock Ellis]

Thanks, Cosmo. No, no opening doors. Oddly, only the cheapest HO cars I've ever seen modeled planks on the ubderside. On these real reefers, all the brake rigging is visible so I thought I'd do the boards also.