REA owned cars started in Pullman Green. After WWII they switched to dark
green. The first steel cars in 1947 were silver with green, black and red
stripes, but later steel cars switched back to dark green until the later
1960's when a more "apple green" color came into use.
Cars with Railway Express Agency lettering, but also a railroad name on the
letter board, were owned by the railroad and leased to REA. They were painted
to railroad specification, including color, and the REA lettering added. This
includes baggage cars and express boxcars (like the X29 express version) as
well as reefers. The Soo, MP, GN and PRR all had express reefers leased to REA
but in their own paint and lettering.
Books of use for photos of the prototype express reefers :
Moving Mail and Express by Rail, by Edward M. DeRouin
Maybe Morning Sun "Refrigerator Car Color Guide" by Gene Greeen
Vol.s 7 and 9 of railway prototype Cyclopedia
"Railway Express Agency: An Overview" by V. S. Roseman
Pieter E. Roos
--- On Tue, 6/26/12, Bob Werre <[email protected]> wrote:
Bob, There is a book (probably Morning Sun) on reefers that contains
several color shots. As I recall, there were several very different
greens and even a gray shown in the REA photos. So it is likely
that the company itself changed colors or actually used different
greens perhaps dedicated to run with passenger train consists.. My
preference would be something brighter than Pullman green. When we
had our recent train show there were three cars lettered for REA and
all three had different greens--one being Pullman green, and the
other two were more medium grass green.
I have Kinsman reefer sides lettered for the Soo Line, but also
references the REA and those are indeed Pullman green. I also have
one of Southwind's RB-50's and it is painted maroon with a black
roof and gold leaf REA lettering. I think Jettie also sold a green
version with silver roof but I would be guessing in saying it was a
Pullman green.
Bob Werre
