Freight Car History Tracing

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Hello everyone,

I am new to model railroading and have a basic question about prototypes. How do I trace the history of a particular car number? I am looking for dates of service, disposition, date of disposition, manufacturer, car body type, etc. The car in question is from the old Santa Fe Refrigeration Department. Is there a database or depository of such information? How do I access it.

Any help will be appreciated as I am sure I am not the first to try this!

Happy railroading…

Dan

2

Dan: The Santa Fe Historical and Modeling Society probably can provide this info. Give them a try. Also try Google.

3

I don’t know of any general database with all the information you want.

For what you seem to be after, you might want to get in touch with the Santa Fe Historical Society. I understand there’s also a Santa Fe Prototype Modelers’ Society.

You might be able to piece together some information from old copies of the Official Railway Equipment Register, but that would only give some dimensional information, and other information useful to someone selecting a car for a shipment.

I’m sure the Santa Fe fans will have much more to say…

4

There is a PAPER “database” or two.

Refrigerator Cars: Ice Bunker Cars 1884-1979 (Santa Fe Railway Rolling Stock Reference Series- Vol.2) by C. Keith Jordan, Richard H. Hendrickson, John B. Moore and A. Dean Hale. 1994, Santa Fe Modelers Organization Inc., Norman, Ok. 288p.

Photos, scale drawings, history, operations. Also covers company service ice cars, salt cars for transporting ice used in refrigeration, and former reefers in brick car service.

The back matter indices include a class-by-class listing of car numbers, build dates, dimensions, characteristics etc.

A book with no photos, just car and class numbers, but covering Santa Fe freight equipment in general, not just refrigerator cars:

5

Go to credit valley railway which is a hobby store you can find their web site in modelrailroader enter the site go under links and you will see historical sites the santafe is in there. rambo1…

6

Keep in mind railroad cars are required to have a ‘built date’ on them, usually written like “BLT 8-74” so that would at least give you a starting point. It also would show the most recent major shopping, repainting or rebuilding date, like perhaps “CHI 4-99” for a car rebuilt in April 1999.

BTW “S.F.R.D.” on the cars means “Santa Fe Refrigerator Dispatch” (not “Department”). As of about 1910 railroads had to divest themselves of their refrigerator lines, so they spun them off onto (at least on paper) separate companies. Often the refrigerator car company would own the cars, and lease them to the railroad or to private companies.

7

Many thanks for the info. I will give them a try…Sorry for the delay here, but I have been out of town since getting your reply to my request. I appreciate your help.

Dan

8

Thanks for your help. I will give them a try. Sorry for the delay in responding, but I have been out of town. I appreciate your help.

Dan

9

Thanks for the great info and assistance. I really appreciate your efforts and will get going on the research. Sorry for the delay in responding, but I have been out of town.

Thanks again.

Dan

10

Thanks for the info. I will check it out. Sorry for the delay in responding, but I have been out of town.

Many thanks for your help.

Dan

11

Thanks for the great information. It was really helpful. Sorry for the delay in responding, but I have been out of town.

I appreciate your assistance…

Dan