| RBBQ 78052 at Clyde, Illinois on an unknown day in May 1980, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. The following is from Burlington Bulletin No. 12, REEFERS, edited by Hol Wagner: All insulated boxcars produced after 1963 were both owned and operated by either the CB&Q or the C&S. Cars built after 1963 carried RBBQ or RBCS reporting marks and were lettered BURLINGTON in the yellow band rather than BURLINGTON REFRIGERATOR EXPRESS. RBBQ 78000 - 78299 were turned out by Havelock ( CB&Q shops in Nebraska ) between November 1964 and September 1965. These cars took full advantage of the efficiency and light weight of urethane foam insulation; they were 60 feet long inside and had a capacity of 155,000 pounds. And because the foam was so efficient, thinner sidewalls were possible, so all the RBL's ( and mechanical reefers ) built at Havelock after mid-1963 were outside braced. All 300 had cushion underframes - National 3-C gliding sills for the first 290 cars and Miner M-20 hydraulic cushion underframes for the last 10. Only these last 10 cars, 78290 - 78299, carried HYDRAULIC CUSHIONING lettering on the yellow band; the other 290 cars had no lettering in this space. The last 10 also featured a different style plug door than the other cars. Interestingly though, all 300 cars had the same load-securing equipment inside: Equipco one- and two-piece load dividers, Evans six-position side fillers, and Landreth liner panels on ends, doors, ceiling, and portions of the sides. Cars 78000 - 78099 were assigned to Coors beer service, and the beginning of a massive shift back to rail transport by one of the nation's largest brewers was under way. |