PFE Steel 40' BR-40-10 Express Refrigerator Car:

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Hello Evryone,

I would appreciate, if someone would please answer what the class series: ‘40-10’ represents?

Thank you,

Ralph

2

As I understand the PFEclassification system “BR” is the AAR designation for express reefers, “40” is the car’s nominal capacity in tons, and “10” is a chronological order referring to the design (often, but not always, a refinement of lower-numbered designs. These cars were, I believe, all re-builds of R-40-? class freight reefers.

Wayne

3

From what I’ve been able to gather, the BR-40-10 refrigerator cars were the first of the all-steel PFE reefers, built between 1936-37. They numbered 4,700 cars, beginning with #40001 and ending with #44700. As originally built, they carried the UP herald on one side of the car and the SP herald on the other side. Later PFE steel refrigerator cars carried both heralds on either side.

Tom

4

The first all-steel PFE reefers were the R-40-10 class, some of which were later converted to class BR-40-10, with the addition of steam and signal lines, and various designs of high-speed trucks.

The all-steel R-40-10 class was built in 1936-37, followed by the R-40-14 (1941), R-40-20 (1945), R-40-23 (1947), and R-40-25 (1949/50). All of these were freight reefers.

The information which I have shows that only cars from the R-40-10 class were converted to express service, and that fifty cars were involved, all in 1953. Prior to that time, various wooden freight reefers had been converted to express service (as far back as 1906), with all of them reverting back to freight service when purpose-built express cars were constructed in 1923. There were 300 of these express cars, 50’ in length and very similar to the Athearn 50’ wooden express reefer. In 1954, 83 of these cars were re-built with completely new superstructures, albeit still wood-sheathed. and the rest of the class was scrapped.

This info is from the April, 1987 issue of RMC, which ran a multi-part series on PFE reefers.

Wayne

5

Wayne and Tom,

I appreciate your valuable time and information

Tom your pet cat and layout photos. are all great.

Thanks to the both of you, I now have proper modeling information.

Take Care,

Ralph