The WP & D&RGW also leased cars from GATX for Express service - but
in both cases, they were gone by the mid 40s. The Walthers & BLI
cars are correct for these, and they did show up on the Expo. In
fact, I have a series of colored slides of the cars on the Expo in
Colorado on the D&RGW.
At 01:13 PM 5/27/2010, you wrote:
>Charlie,
>
>
>
>You ask a good question.
>
>My understanding of the possible answer follows:
>
>Remember who owned the CB&Q. They certainly had something to say about the
>ownership (or lack thereof) of express reefers by the Burlington.
>
>Secondly, keep in mind that there were actually two competing express reefer
>pools-the Railway Express Agency and Northern Refrigerator Car, a subsidiary
>of Merchant's Despatch, and hence, of the New York Central. Both CB&Q owners
>had cars in the REA pool until the mid-1920s. Around 1927, the NP withdrew
>its cars from the REA pool after a mileage dispute and signed on with NRC
>for coverage of its express reefer needs.
>
>The Great Northern, on the other hand, was quite content with its
>arrangement with the Agency-adding the GN 2200-series cars to the REA pool
>as late as 1957. Two owners, two different views of dealing with express
>reefer needs.
>
>There seems to have been little disagreement, however, about the Burlington
>owning or leasing express refrigerator cars. It was apparently felt
>unnecessary. The Great Northern's involvement in the pool provided coverage
>for the Q's rather limited need for such equipment.
>
>You mention trains which carried express refrigerator cars. One of the major
>users of this equipment 0n the Burlington was Train 29, The Fast Mail. Such
>cars in the consist of this train were almost certainly carrying dry
>(non-refrigerated) express-or even more likely, bulk mail. The Post Office
>Department loved express reefers because of their excellent riding
>qualities. By the late 1950s, only about 5% of the loadings of express
>refrigerator cars required ice.
>
>You mention express reefers from MILW, SOO, CRIP, WAB, M&StL, ATSF, GN and
>NP, etc. You must be looking at fairly old photos to have seen some of these
>cars. The MILW cars were never in the REA pool (although they "were
>available" to the American Railway Express pool in 1919)-they were
>considered too short (at 44-ft) and under-insulated. The CRIP, WAB, M&StL
>and SOO cars were all leased from General American in the mid- to late-1920s
>but were off-lease by the late-1930s or early 1940s. Very few such cars
>(some MP, SAL and SOO) were still under lease by the end of WWII. The NP
>cars were not pooled, as I mentioned, after the late 1920s and appeared
>(infrequently) in their own trains as most were 44-ft cars.
>
>SOO cars lasted into the 1950s but were not in the pool by that time.
>However, seeing pooled GN 2200-series cars would have been very common on
>Train 29.
>
>So, the short answer to your question is that the Q's owners thought it
>unnecessary for the railroad to own express reefers.
>
>I find it very difficult to argue with that decision.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Dave Lambert
>
>
>
> _____
>
>From: CBQ@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CBQ@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of cvlk
>Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 12:14 PM
>To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [CBQ] The CB&Q and the REA
>
>
>
>
>
>This brings up a question I have been wondering about that hasn't been fully
>
>answered. Why, if the CB&Q was so involved with the REA, didn't the Q have
>REA Express reefers lettered CB&Q as so many roads did? From looking at
>photos of CB&Q trains it looks like the express reefer traffic in general
>was less than one might expect.... the trains that do carry express reefers
>seem to be fowarded to or from the NP and GN. ATSF, MILW all had their own
>cars, SOO, RI, WAB, M&StL, etc.. had REA cars with their name on
>them.....yet the Q express reefer fleet was limited to very early Cream Cars
>
>and Milk Cars which were gone by the early teens.
>Curious.
>Charlie Vlk
>
> >
> > You are correct - I spoke to Mr. garrett on the phone shortly after the
> > book came out and encouraged him to do an expanded article for BRHS Zephyr
>
> > re: his experiences with REA serving CB&Q stations in SD & WY. When I
> > mentioned the book title in my 'post', I was @ work so did not have it in
> > front of me. Great guy especially when one considers he's in his 90's and
> > went from being a helper with REA to a top corporate job right up to the
> > time REA dissolved. He has so many good stories of his times working with
> > Burlington depot agents, even getting Q engineers to spot trains to make
> > it easier to load/unload large REA shipments.
> >
> >
> >
> > Not much has ever been written on the role REA had with the RR's (CB&Q
> > being of the large group of RR owners).
> >
> >
> >
> > Gerald
>
>
>
>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
Bob Webber
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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