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Re: [bbfcl] Converting Rapido’s Rr-56 Mechanical Reefer Into Rr-60 & Rr-61 Classes

Jim Gates
 

Note that SFRD 2500-2510 only had two sets of vents towards the B end on the left side. And in a photograph of SFRD 2500 in the mechanical refrigerator book it looks like the slogans were applied on the wrong side.

Jim Gates
On Sunday, March 14, 2021, 11:39:12 AM CDT, Tim O'Connor <timboconnor@...> wrote:



From 1955=1956 to 1959 there were 200 Rr-56's SFRP 2000-2188 (189) and
SFRP 2500-2510 (11). In 1962, 20 of the Rr-56's became SFRM 38000-38019. These
cars later were rebuilt as Bx-165 ATSF 40730-40740 (for hide loading!) in 1973.

The 11 SFRP 2500-2510 Rr-56 cars were GRADUALLY renumbered into the
series SFRP 2271-2281 - I think this began in 1960 and was completed by 1965 !!
There's a beautiful 1974 Ron Hawkins photo of SFRP 2274 on railcarphotos. I have
no idea what was special about these cars that required a different number series. :-)

The Rr-60 and Rr-61 classes comprised just 75 cars -- 25 Rr-60's SFRP 2189-2213
(1958) and 50 Rr-61's 2214-2238 (1958) 2239-2263 (1960).

By 1978 122 SFRP Rr-56's Rr-60's and Rr-61's became class Bx-202 ATSF 279990-280131.
I have no photos of either class Bx-165 or Bx-202. The last reefers of all three classes were
off the roster by 1981. But I would not be surprised if some of the cars continued in company
maintenance of way service. (Attached photo of Rr-54 in MofW service.)

The roller bearings of the cars as delivered had Timken caps. Eventually these caps had
to be removed by AAR or FRA rules - probably interfered with hot box detectors.

If Rapido makes the 54 foot running boards for these cars I hope they will also make
them available separately to model Santa Fe box cars of the period. The Santa Fe liked
to apply extra long running boards. :-)

Tim O'Connor



On 3/13/2021 1:32 PM, Bob Chaparro via groups.io wrote:

Converting Rapido’s Rr-56 Mechanical Reefer Into Rr-60 & Rr-61 Classes

John B. Moore, Jr., author of the Santa Fe Mechanical Refrigerator Cars book, points out how easy it will be to convert the Rapido HO scale Santa Fe Rr-56 Mechanical Reefer

( https://rapidotrains.com/products/ho-scale/freight-cars/ho-scale-atsf-rr-56-mechanical-reefer )

into Santa Fe Rr-60 & Rr-61 Classes.

Basically, the three classes are visually identical from the outside. All that is needed is to match the car number, slogan or emblems to a prototype example, paint and letter them and you can have all three classes of Santa Fe’s mechanical refrigerator cars.

These two additional classes give you another fifty individual cars you can model. Cars in these two additional classes began service in 1958 with most still plying the rails by 1978.

Bob Chaparro



--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts

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