Refrigerator Car Roof Surfaces

Collection of the late J. P. Barger

Having crews work on "bare" roof surfaces presented a seemingly risky endeavor, especially when the surfaces were smooth and wet, such as those on steel-roofed, ice-cooled refrigerator cars. One means to make things a little less perilous was to apply something rough and/or textured mixed with the paint applied to the roof. A common additive was crushed slate granules. This added (and noticeable) texture provided a more sure-footed surface for crews. These two photos illustrate that to good effect. The photo above is the roof of a PFE R-40-20. The texture is quite evident (click on the image to see a larger, more detailed view.) Contrast the surface texture of the roof and most of the hatch cover with the more smooth rectagular-shaped surface in the middle of the Equipco hatch cover (the stencil notes that, "THIS HATCH COVER MAY BE LOCKED FROM INSIDE OF CAR.")

The roof and hatch covers on Santa Fe rebuilt refrigerator car 9161 from class RR-43 are similarly textured.

Santa Fe photo, courtesy of the late Richard Hendrickson

While it may be difficult to effectively capture in HO scale, it is definitely noticeable compared to the other surfaces on the car. Happy modeling!

A Photo and a Story

 

E. M Bittner

This image (click on it to see a larger view) is an ebay purchase. It's a vintage Ektachrome slide that given the decades and Ekta's propensity for color shifting, is actually in tremendous shape. I did little to adjust the color. About the image... as one can see, Yankee Stadium is in the background. The waterway in front is the Harlem River, a strait between the Hudson and East Rivers, separating upper Manhattan from The Bronx. There are two businesses behind the tracks. The one at left is a food distributor and likely the reason for the five food-related cars on the track. From left are an Atlantic Coast Line ventilated box car, a Pacific Fruit Express reefer, a Seaboard Air Line ventilated box car, a Santa Fe reefer, and another ACL ventilated box car. 

It is the business at right that yielded an interesting story. It is Hans Holterbosch. I did a little sleuthing and found the following obituary for H. Dieter Holterbosch:

"Born on July 26, 1921 in Dusseldorf, Germany to Marta and Hans Holterbosch, he immigrated to the United States with his parents and sister at the age of five. Raised in Manhattan, NY, he attended Columbia Prep and then went on to attend Penn State University. He served his adopted country proudly in the Coast Guard during World War II, stationed primarily in Brussels. A self-made man, he built a business empire in the years following the war that included running a family vineyard, importing and building the Lowenbrau* beer brand and starting the largest beer distributorship of major brands in New York State. A life long connoisseur of the fine and rare, he was known for his innate good taste. His first major collection of European royal carriages became the foundation of the permanent collection at the Museums at Stony Brook. He subsequently amassed one of the world's finest private collections of vintage automobiles. Recognized as a respected authority on vintage cars, he served as the chief Mercedes judge at the Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach for 20 years. A wonderful raconteur, he was known by his friends and colleagues for his integrity, generosity and great good humor."

Back to the photo... while it's grainy and not too sharp, I was drawn to the pallets and kegs in front of the building that would make a good detailing addition to a similar scale model scene. This scene could be replicated for many different sizes of towns, from the modest track holding five cars, to the vehicles, and the buildings themselves along with their details.

*If you watched any television in the late 70s and 80s, you are familiar with the "Tonight, let it be Lowenbrau" advertisements. Here is an example.

Wordy Wednesday - Santa Fe Refrigerator Despatch ARA-inspired refrigerator car SFRD 24132

These two photos were finds on ebay several years ago. They were undoubtedly recorded to document the shifting of the lumber load on the adjacent flat car, either by a curious photographer or for actual railroad purposes.

The Santa Fe purchasd large quantities of ARA-inspired refrigerator cars (based upon the ARA design for the double sheathed wood box car, which the Santa Fe ordered in classes Bx-8, -9, and -10.) The first group was assigned to class RR-5, 900 cars built in 1927 by American Car & Foundry and Pullman Car & Manufacturing, car nos. 23451-24350 (there were 100 nearly identical cars with divided ice baskets in class RR-6, nos. 24351-24450). SFRD purchased an additional 1,900 similar cars between 1928 and 1931, classes RR-7, -8, -9, and -11, nos. 24451-26350. 

In the period immediately prior to the US involvement in World War Two, many of the cars received improvements, including AB schedule air brakes and new Murphy rectangular panel roofs. Not all cars received these upgrades. Note that SFRD 24132 shown here still had a staff-type hand brake to go with its AB brakes and new Murphy panel roof.

Most of these cars were rebuilt into all-steel cars between 1950-1953, classes RR-49, -50, -51, and -53, but that is a different story...

References: Santa Fe Railway Rolling Stock Reference Series -- Volume Two, Refrigerator Cars, Ice Bunker Cars 1884-1979, Jordan, Hendrickson, Moore, and Hale