Having seen a copy of the Mainline Modeller article, the BREX car shown is
from the group 300-325 which only had the standard doors, not the express
reefers 326-329 with the extra cream compartment.

Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ

That MM caption is in error in that the BREX express reefers used something called a "bi-forcated" end. The drawing I have of this end is for the 40-ft BRE steel reefers built in 1937 at Plattsmouth. There were 270 cars in the BREX 74730-74999 series. The end on this series featured two panels, each with four ribs, but when the cars were retro-fitted with fans, the lowest rib of the lower section was cut out and a section of plate steel was welded in its place. I have several photos that document this change. If anyone has any idea why this was done, please speak up.

The ends on the two-door express cars used the same rib configuration as the 40-ft cars, but on the ends of the 4-door cars the lowest rib is missing and there is a flat area as part of the stamping meaning the ends look like those on the 40-ft cars after they were fitted with fans.

The only photo I have other than a builders photo show one of the 4-dr express reefers in a B&O train. The angle of the photo makes it impossible to know which end is visible, but the second door is on the left end of the side.

Bill Welch

Gary

Thanks for looking. From your description, the cream compartment is on the
left of the picture, which is the same view as the Burlington Bulletin
photo. The search continues ...

Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ

On page 44 there is a cropped 1 5/16” x 2 1/4” photo of the “B” end that just includes enough of the side to show the full letters RE and a partial F with the text noting that only reverse Dreadnaught ends the author has seen was in a picture of Burlington express reefer shown in the 1943 Car Cyclopedia and that 29 of the fifty food cars were in service in 1949.

gary laakso


From: Rupert & Maureen
Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2013 8:15 PM
To: STMFC@...
Subject: RE: [STMFC] Re: BREX 326-329, express refrigerator cars


During a previous discussion of these cars, it was stated that there was
"something" about them in Mainline Modeller of February 1987. Would anyone
have this issue?

Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ

-----Original Message-----
From: mailto:STMFC%40yahoogroups.com [mailto:mailto:STMFC%40yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
Douglas Harding
Sent: Sunday, 12 May 2013 10:38 a.m.
To: mailto:STMFC%40yahoogroups.com
Subject: [STMFC] Re: BREX 326-329, express refrigerator cars

Ed according some postings on the BRHS list three years ago the doors are
"cream compartments"

During a previous discussion of these cars, it was stated that there was
"something" about them in Mainline Modeller of February 1987. Would anyone
have this issue?

Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ

Ed according some postings on the BRHS list three years ago the doors are
"cream compartments"



Charlie

The cream compartment cars were 326-329, built at Plattsmouth in 1937. The
photo in Bulletin 16 (the same photo as that in Bulletin
12) notes that these were the last four cars of the group so perhaps the
compartment was an afterthought. Logic certainly dictates
that the compartment was only at one end and that the doors on the "other"
side were the same as the viewed side (but it would be
nice to know).

It's interesting that the four cream cars were not separately listed in the
ORER, although a separate compartment would have reduced
the cubic capacity, whilst 304 and 321 were listed by themselves. Thinking
about the 3/8 inch reduced inside height and 1/8 inch
reduced door height of these two cars, I wonder if they had an experimental
ceiling installed, or something!

Interesting to note that sometime between 1941 and 1945, the number range
for
the express reefers was amended in the ORER's from
300-329 to 300-399, although no more express reefers were added actually to
the roster. Presumably someone considered that those
numbers would be needed or the ORER wouldn't have been changed. How much
freedom did BREX have within the Fruit Growers Express
organization when it came to car building?

Rupert

I am trying to solve a mystery about these four 50' steel express refrigerator cars built by the Burlington Route in 1937.

They had two sets of doors on each side. One in the center and a second set, seen at the left end from photo of a car at its "B" end.

Was the door near the end on the other side directly opposite this door, or was it diametrically opposite in the other corner?

A prototype photo taken from the "A" end could help solve that. So might a company diagram for that class of car, of which there were only four I understand.

A Burlington Bulletin in which I saw a prototype photo of one of them wasn't able to answer that question. I think it dated from the 1980s.

But it was helpful in other matters. The door sets on each side were two different heights with the lower set near the end. A photo showed one car equipped for passenger service: steam line, air and signal lines, buffers and riding on short wheelbase BX type express trucks.

While apparently painted yellow and maybe box car red (?) like BREX freight reefers, the color of the lettering in that photo suggested it was not black but possibly dark red. It included the words Express Refrigerator in place of Ventilator - Refrigerator.

ORER issues I have from 1943 and 1953 do not call out anything specific about these four cars that relate to the doors, other than being equipped for stage icing.

Does anyone know if Railway Age or a similar contemporary industry journal may have run an article about them in 1937/38?

So far I've found three citations in this group about these cars: Numbers 92911 of 8/11/2011, 61539 of 3/20/2007 and 51362 of 2/9/2006. None answer the door placement question.

Walthers produced their O gauge kit for these cars in 1941, not long after the prototypes were built. It was kit number 3842 and the instructions do not mention anything about the opposite side door placement. Walthers showed one in their catalog with BREX freight lettering, an incorrect freight number (74780)and riding on Bettendorf style trucks.

Any suggestions in resolving the door placement mystery will be truly appreciated!

Thank you,
Ed Bommer