TrainWeb.org Facebook Page
Santa Fe's White Reefers era:1950-1974 Both pictures by Frank Ellington were scanned from slides provided to Neville Madden from Frank's collection. Thanks to both gentlemen for making them available to us!
They show the more common orange reefers coupled with the white ones, so we know that they are not just photographic abberations.  I have tried to lift as much detail as possible from these old slides by adjusting the color intensity, contrast and brightness; I wish I could have done better, but at least this is proof that the Santa Fe had some albino reefers in the roster back in those days.

This side view of SFRD 11334 was taken in Argentine, KS, on Jun 24, 1973. The car was built 24 Jun 1950 according to the data on the slide.  The SFMO/SFRHS Listing of Freight Cars by Larry Ochiello, states that RR-48 was a group of 562 steel reefers rebuilt in 1950 from the RR-Y and RR-2 wood sheathed classes, and numbered from 10870 through 11431. While 271 remained on the roster in 1970, the last of the class was retired in 1974.
This view clearly shows the car end with reporting marks. The shot having been taken in July, 1973, it shows the car as it looked in the last year of its existence.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Back to my home page