Thanks, Bruce. I’m thinking a steel reefer might have a shorter ‘normal’ repaint schedule than a steel boxcar because of salt corrosion. I’m building three cars built in 1945 and one car built in 1948. I model 1953 . . .
Modelers tend to exaggerate the role of salt in produce shipping, It was not widely used, and when used was small percentages like 5 percent, compared to the 20 or 30 percent often used with meat shipments.
PFE had the intent to repaint its steel cars every 10 to 12 years. Of course repairs or damage could result in earlier repainting. One could make the case, though, that most 1945-built cars wouldn’t really be up for repainting by 1953 (the same year I model, incidentally).
