What is the difference between a reefer and a boxcar
A reefer is an insulated, refrigerated car for carrying fresh fruits, vegatables, meat, and other perishables; a boxcar is not insulated and can carry just about everything else that will fit into it. Early reefers were chilled by using blocks of ice, and had to stop every 75 to 100 miles to be re-iced. Modern reefers have refrigeration units.
There are insulated boxcars. There is also the bunkerless refrigerated boxcar, RBL. It is heavily insulated and has no ice bunkers or mechanical refrigeration unit.
Here are some relevant Association of American Railroad (AAR) mechanical designations.
RPL - mechanical reefer with load restraints
RP - mechanical reefer without load restraints
RC - reefer cooled by carbon dioxide (I am not sure of this)
RBL - bunkerless reefer with load restraints
XLI - insulated boxcar with load restraints
XMI - insulated boxcar without load restraints
XL - uninsulated boxcar with load restraints
XM - uninsulated boxcar without load restraints
Visually the big differences for the wood sided cars were the wood sided reefers had a double door on hinges vice a sliding door for the boxcar and hatches on the roof for ice.
Enjoy
Paul
This might be of interest.
http://www.aar.org/pubstores/SampleData/RER04sample.pdf