Billboard Reefers
We’ve covered this topic a couple times, however, Pinterest has decided that I like billboard reefers and hence has sent a slew of pics! Quick review: Billboard reefers were essentially banned in 1937. (Check out this link from Model Railroader for a great explanation of what and why: https://www.trains.com/mrr/beginners/ask-trains/billboard-reefer-cars-outlawed/ ) A few of these pics are accidental repeats of the pic study from 2021. A few others I intentionally took directly from the ’21 study. But, I hope you find most of these as first time looks. I have very little info on a lot of the pics. And, I decided not to do a lot of research – So enjoy the great ad artwork of the past!
This pic got me started! It’s not really a billboard reefer, but a billboard boxcar. That must be the Jackson Wagon factory in the background. I’m trying to figure out if those are skylights on the roof of the structure, or panels that can be opened for ventilation.
Not really a billboard reefer, but CM reefers have a nice look! Note the two doors each side.
Here’s an early Swift reefer. There was quite a collection of Swift billboard reefers! Great view of the truss rods and arch bar trucks.
Sticking with meat packing…Armour reefer sketch.
I knew a guy related to the Deckers who owned the famous meat packing company.
GH Hammond…
Then there’s Priebe poultry and eggs.
And what better with a hamburger or steak than a good beer! (The caption I used in 2021: Here’s a better look at a URTC Miller reefer. It has a 1933 date on it – just post prohibition, but pre ICC ruling. Notice the low “fishbelly” steel frame.) Beer reefers are interesting because they temporarily stopped in 1920 due to prohibition. When prohibition was repealed in 1933, they started up again with beer billboards only to have the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) act against the billboard reefers in 1934 – the ruling taking effect in 1937.
Anheuser Busch was one of the first breweries to transport beer using reefers. This is a classic truss rod reefer; pre-dates the fish belly steel frames. Anheuser Busch was the first brewery to pasteurize beer so it could be transported over long distances (1870) – hence the first beer reefers.
I like the artwork on this “beer” reefer (sketch).
Two railroad freight cars with Fauerbach Beer signs covering their sides are parked outdoors on railroad tracks in a railroad yard in Wisconsin.
Moving on to fruits and veggies…
Armour was best known as a meat packing company, but here’s an Armour fruit car.
And then dairy…a Hoods Dairy reefer in 1932.
Here’s a generic ART dairy reefer – not really a classic billboard reefer.
A string of Sheffield Farms dairy reefers, 1928.
This is a dairy reefer, but not sure if it qualifies as a billboard reefer.
Now let’s mix the dairy products with eggs & poultry!
I’ve seen this pic before, but not sure if I used it in previous studies. If I remember correctly, the two models were hired for a Baby Ruth ad. It looks like the billboards are freshly painted over an older Curtiss candy ad. Nice auto in the middle!
A few studies ago, I showed a pickle car with the three vertical cylinder tanks being filled via wheel barrows. Here’s Heinz’s version of a pickle car – wonder if they loaded this car with wheel barrows?
A little relish with that dog? BTW, check out the background building behind the pickle and relish cars. That’s the same building, same car spot! I’m guessing that’s the loading dock area at the Heinz plant. Of coarse the pickle car pic occurred after a snow fall, while the relish car is displayed in front of open windows!
If you’re moving perishable product, but don’t have a place to store it.
I’ve shown this billboard car (not a reefer). Dave (K.) had an interesting comment about this pic last time I presented it . I just don’t remember what he said! Note that this boxcar has end doors.
I’m not sure if tankers qualify under the billboard ban because they are typically dedicated to certain products to avoid contamination. But, this one is fun because it’s really a tanker with a billboard attached!
I found this pic as part of an ad for a new book (from the Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society (SPH&TS), entitled Southern Pacific Freight Car Painting and Lettering Guide, subtitled “Including PFE,”). Again, not a billboard reefer, but a dedicated tanker with the name of the customer displayed.
Here’s a pic of Borden’s “butter dish” milk tanker. Again, it’s a dedicated tanker.
A molasses tanker.
Here’s a dedicated covered hopper.
This is not a billboard car, but I like the “Live Bees” posted on the side!
This is a unique private car owned by Hutchings & Crum. This was their photo car, distinguished by the glass panels that provided natural light for portraits. Hutchings & Crum were “19th Century Traveling Photographers” that operated this car circa. 1886 to 1888.
As we drift, I just like this small Wells Fargo express baggage/mail car – oval windows and arched windows and doors, and rounded ends & top
The Bangor & Aroostook traditionally advertised Maine potatoes prior to the 1934 ICC ruling. Nice outside braced boxcar.
But after the ruling, they changed the Maine “potatoes” to Maine “products”. You’ll have to look further into the ruling to understand how this wording got around the ruling (I don’t remember exactly!).
Here’s a modern private or dedicated boxcar. I guess modern is relative – it still has roof walks, and look at the vehicles in the background!
I’ve previously shown this pic of men unloading Frigidaire refrigerators. Again, definitely not a billboard car, but a car with a billboard temporarily hung on it’s side. What caught my eye is that it’s a New York Central/Cincinnati Northern railroad boxcar. I previously questioned whether the Gay brothers on the sign were related to the Gay family that owned the Lewisburg tobacco barns for a while (the barns that Joe modelled). I’ve since found out that the delivery is for the Gay Brothers Apartments located on Main street, Madison, WI, 1928. Whether family related or not, this has nothing to do with a delivery in Lewisburg!
I generally don’t show “train wreck” photos except…didn’t this happen on my layout last week? Caption reads, “Un-identified 0-6-0 steam loco after accident on the Brandon Pit House line in 1928.” The bumper on the end reveals that this occurred in the UK.
Another interesting photo I’ve looked at and wondered when I could stick it in a study. Earlier in the 20th Century, the railroads devised a system of replenishing the water in the tender without stopping. The tender would be outfitted with a scoop that dropped between the rails. The railroad would flood an area of the track, and while the loco traveled over the flooded area, they would drop the tender scoop. The speed of the train would force the water up into the scoop and into the tender. I had always heard that at certain locations for passenger and high speed service this helped reduce stops. But, you don’t always hear about the development woes! Apparently, ventilating the water tank was critical when you dropped that scoop traveling at a decent speed and forcing that essentially non-compressible H2O into the tender!
A note about all those billboard reefers – The word is that the billboards were brightly painted to catch your eye. Unfortunately, many of the color schemes have been lost since they disappeared long before color photography. The best we have is a few color sketches like the blue beer car.
Thx,
Kevin
