Lionel O gauge Sprecher woodside reefers

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The Milwaukee Lionel Railroad Club (LRRC) and Lionel Trains have a history of collaborating to produce limited custom-run models for members and the general public. In 2025, they joined forces for a new club car, tapping into the Sprecher Brewery Co. to showcase three uniquely-painted O scale woodside reefers.

Sprecher was founded in 1984 and opened for business a year later, making it the first craft brewery to enter the Milwaukee market since the Prohibition era. With an initial goal to bring traditional European-style alcohol back to the Beer City, the company has since diversified to include craft sodas, malts, and root beer. The root beer, especially, has become a signature beverage for Sprecher, which is reflected in the sales of these models. More on that later.

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The model utilizes a one-piece plastic car body that features mostly molded details. These include both the side doors and top hatches for the ice, which do not open. There are a few exceptions, including the separately-painted brake wheel and side ladders. The underside of the chassis is mainly molded detailing to showcase the wood planking, metal frame, and brake rigging.

Many of the details are hand painted, and the beautiful paint and lettering are one of my favorite aspects of these models.

Two of the three reefers represent Sprecher Brewery in either a yellow or black color scheme. The third car focuses on the company's root beer line, with a unique black-to-yellow gradient from the top down and features mascot Rooty as the logo to represent the company's non-alcoholic beverages. (The silhouette-style griffin logo is used on the two "Brewery" cars in Rooty's place.)

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A LRRC member who helped head the club car committee noted that the collaboration with both Lionel and Sprecher to get the individual color schemes right was extensive. The committee's hard work paid off, though, with the popping colors plus the crisp letters and numbering. In particular, the bright red, German-style Sprecher name spread across the car body in all its glory! I also got a kick out of the Milwaukee Road emblem in the bottom corner next to the ladder, finding it ironic that Sprecher was starting up just as the railroad was in its final years before being merged into the Soo Line.

These cars certainly look good, but also run well when taken for a spin on the Classic Toy Trains ' City Terminal & Transfer. With a recommended O-31 curve radius, they took the layout's FasTrack, O-48 radius curves and switches with ease. Operating all three as a train has given me buyer's remorse for personally ordering just one (Yellow) and not the entire set.

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Those interested in the root beer version will be out of luck, as they've sold out long before reaching the club in late April 2026. Both the Sprecher Brewery yellow and black reefers are still on sale at the Milwaukee Lionel Railroad Club online store , though are limited. The $85-per-car price also includes a club associate membership for a year. I would encourage you not to hesitate in placing your orders so you won't miss out when the "Last Call" comes and goes.

Features:

• Die-cast trucks

• Operating couplers with hidden tabs

• O-31 minimum curves

MSRP:$85.00 (for LRRC members)

Website: milw-lrrc.org