Chuck Making them "stand out" makes sense - everyone in the yardaware that the loaded cars carried PERISHABLE lading, so maybe this aided expeditedhandling.

The last one, MDT 5242 - is 5721. Also let's all try to remember this is a SCANNED image from FILM. Sothe apparent "color" isn't gospel. The photos overall have a kindof "washed out" look to them, so

I have been wondering about whybright colors were used on reefers. Was it to make them stand out in the yards to help get special handing? Bright colors looked "cleaner" for food products? Some

​Here is a link to the photo I think that Roger is describing. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsac.1a34785/​ The new car is clearly orange, although slightly more towards the yellow than the

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsac.1a34780/ Pretty clear the color was yellow then. While dirty, the overall carbody color matches the fresh paint patches. Scott Chatfield

The photo I'm referring to is LC-USW36-603 taken by Delano in Apr 43; there are four met cars side by side: ERDX 9149, MDT 6382, MDT 17424, MDT 5242; MDT 6382 is the car that is freshly painted. The

indeed! Roger, glad you're still with us. you're referring to the second photo Don Burns references, right? Which car is freshly painted? This batch of color photos retains red color - check out

While you might call it a slightly orangish yellow as opposed to lemon yellow, those cars are definitely not orange. Scott Chatfield

Yes, I'm still alive If you go to the LOC collection and do a search on "South Water Street Chicago", and look at the fifth photo down titled "General view of part of the South Water Street Illinois

The Delano photos and another photo I grabbed from Ebay (with good colorrendering) show yellowish cars but it could be fading. All later photos (1950s+) aredefinitely a mild orange, slightly darker

Speaking of MDT reefers, were the MLKX reefers with double sheathed sides, steel dreadnaught ends and steel roofs clones of the MDT reefers or were they second hand, or what? Thanks! Tim

Of course - "our companies" - FGE, etc... Regards, Bruce Smith Auburn, AL Ed Mines askes: Were there any 1940s era 40ft ice reefers with school bus yellow (mostly yellow with a little orange)?

Thanks Don. So some of you think the sides of the reefers in those photos have faded from orange to yellow? Ed Mines

MDT reefers are shown in https://www.loc.gov/resource/fsac.1a34776/ and https://www.loc.gov/resource/fsac.1a34780/ Don Burn

ed mines wrote: Orange did fade toward yellow. A photo of an orange car in service for some time cannot be definitive on this color. Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley,

Ed Mines asked: "Ted's new reefer book says - "Like many other cars illustrated herein, it was painted with orange sides, the MDT- standard for cars painted in the 1930s and through the

Ted's new reefer book says - "Like many other cars illustrated herein, it was painted with orange sides, the MDT- standard for cars painted in the 1930s and through the 1950s.........." (page 49). I

Four days ago, Dennis Storzek wrote, and having some idea how large the potential target population was would be useful. Dwight Smith, former B&M Freight Sales employee, once shared a story

I have 4 Rapido painted and lettered meat refrigerator cars that need to have their lettering and/or paint removed. Has anyone done this, and if so, how? Well, I did find an unpainted meat

The link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/82856031@N04/23794898880/in/dateposted/ Bob Witt