REA Box cars

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I have seen photographs of box cars marshalled in the Rock Island’s Cherokee which look like 40 or 50 foot AAR cars. Some were ex-troop sleepers but others appear to standard box cars. Markings seem to include the company name in black on a grey or silver paint scheme. Others appear to be dark green or green-grey with Railroad Express Agency lettering.

Has anyone got a drawing or photo showing a side view as I would like to re-mark a redundant 50 foot box car in HO and have no info myself.

It could be sent as an attachment to my E mail address.

Cheers now

Ignorant Limey

2

Limey,
You’re not ignorant, you’re asking a question. It’s those that don’t ask questions that are ignorant. Having said that, I have a question for you. I just did a search in the Index of Magazines at this site. Most of the articles listed mention REA refrigerator cars, not boxcars/goods vans. So, could you modify your query ? You may have to order a copy from the NMRA’s Kalmbach Memorial Library, because copying for other than personal use runs afoul of our copyright/trade mark laws. Copies from the Library arrive with a rubber stamped note about copyrights.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

3

Thanks for the encouragement Bob.
Because the Cherokee was almost all head end cars in its last years I assumed the box cars in the photos were for mail. I’ve seen mention, and adverts for models of, the sort of thing you’re talking about ~ for instance I think Walthers do a Pennsy model. Mind you the RI had a habit of modifying other types of cars to carry mail didn’t it?

Cheers Derek the Ignorant Limey

4

You may find color books about railroad equipment. I have 2 on CN equipment. Some boxcars were modified for use as mail storage. The trucks were changed & chained to permit operation at passenger speeds. Also, the cars carried trainlines for heat & light. Amtrak MHC’s continue this trend. Many of the cars were painted to match the passenger equipment. The train would show a consistent line from tip to tail. Of course, this could be different when CN changed color schemes in the early 60’s and you could see some wet noodle cars mixed with maple leafs.

A way car with windows cut into the carbody would operate on wayfreights just in front of the caboose. The car would stop in front of the station and packages would be loaded/unloaded from this car. They would have been used for LCL freight to some small town on the main or branchline. This type of service operates today on lines in remote areas.

5

Derek-

Here are some internet items which should be helpful:

Rock Island 40-foot express boxcar in Pullman green (part of the series 20000-20049):

www.rock-island.org/observation/obs_rolling/RIRS003.jpg

Rock Island 50-foot express car converted from troop sleeper (part of the series 4200-4249):

www.rr-fallenflags.org/ri/ri-t428xxn.jpg

Southern Pacific 40-foot express boxcars in Pullman green and two-rone gray, which also frequently appeared in the Cherokee:

www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1916/sp5740bag-exp.jpg

and

www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1916/sp5709expbox.jpg

Sorry, but I am unaware of any Rock Island 50-foot boxcars in express service, other than the converted troop sleepers.

–John

6

Thanks to all those of you who helped. For someone new to US railroads this is very interesting reading.
I’ll certainly look up your links John.
Since my first enquiry I have found out that most of my “sightings” were express reefers and Rock Island Colour Pictorial had plenty of pictures of these albeit in the background.

Thanks again everyone.