Tom,
I pulled out my copy of the "Conductors Booking Book" put together by Dan
Holbrook (probably 20 years or more years ago) from the actual booking books
of Aurora Div Condrs Repetto,Shields and W.D. Coyle. This covers the
early 60s and is for trains from CUS to Savanna and/or Galesburg/Burlington
and beyond and then the return trips. I worked with all 3 of these gentlemen,
if it's in their book,it happened.
There are many,many examples of REX cars as "baggage,express,newspapers
and even mail.. All marked as baggage cars
The following were clearly marked as "reefers":
Condr Repetto 7/31/60 train 30/56, REX 6986,REX 6557
Condr Shields 9/62 train 29 out of CUS,REX 6711 for Co. Bluffs
Condr Shields,11/1/62 all marked as REX reefers: REX 6728-mail,REX
7098-Mail,REX 7607-exress,REX 6752-mail
Condr Shields,11/9/62,train #3,REX 7758 reefer,for Oakland,express:REX
6617-reefer,express for Salt Lake
Condr Shields,12/11/62,train 2nd 47,REX 6342 reefer,express St
Paul......engineer Wissel
Condr Shields,8/3/63,train 48,reefers REX 7258 and 7529
AND HERE'S THE TOPPER:
Condr Shields,5/21/64,train 30,(pretty late for this type of
service), REX 6484,7653,6363,7884,7142,7800,7000,7096 all loads of
berries. The engineers and Condrs still talked about these trains in the
70s"make best possible time" or something to that effect was on the train
orders.
Just to add a little flavor I found :
Condr Shields,train 3,7/22/60 with PFE 757 a reefer destined Galesburg
with express.
Hope this helps justify you purchase,
Leo Phillipp