lettering set for Santa Fe’s Rr-5 thru 11 refrigerator cars

In 1902 the Santa Fe incorporated the Santa Fe Refrigerator District (Dispatch) with 2,546 cars, to compete with the newly formed UP/SP Pacific Fruit Express system By 1930 the fleet reached 18,500 cars in total. In 1927 the Santa Fe adopted the newer ARA Type design for 2,900 refrigerator cars: (Rr-5 thru Rr-11) as follows: 

Series 23451-23950 500 cars, American Car & Foundry, Lot 407, delivered July 1927 - Class Rr-5 
Series 23951-24350, 400 cars, Pullman Car & Manufacturing Co, Lot 5420, delivered 1927 - Class Rr-5 
Series 24351-24450, 100 cars, taken from Rr-5 Lot 5420, and equipped with divided basket bunkers - reclassified as Class Rr-6 
Series 24451-24950, 500 cars, Pullman Car & Manufacturing Co, Lot 5427, delivered April 1928 - Class Rr-7 
Series 24951-25450, 500 cars, Pullman Car & Manufacturing Co, Lot 5444, delivered 1929 - Class Rr-8 
Series 25451-25950, 500 cars, Pullman Car & Manufacturing Co, Lot 5469, delivered February 1930 - Class Rr-9* 
Series 25951-26350, 400 cars, Pullman Car & Manufacturing Co, Lot 5484, delivered April 1931 - Class Rr-11* 
Series 6000 - 6012, 13 cars, taken from Rr-11 Lot 5484 and equipped with 10 inches of insulation for dry ice as Class Rr-20 
Note: Class Rr-12/15 and Rr-20 were all modified cars taken from the above group adding meat racks, brine tanks or for dry ice service 

Paint & Lettering: Between 1910 and 1929, with Rr-5 thru 8, sides painted Santa Fe reefer yellow/orange, mineral brown ends and roof. Underbody and brake equipment, door toe kick, hinges, corner straps (add with Archer decals), and truck side frames coated with black car cement. *Beginning in 1930 with the delivery of the Rr-9 and the Rr-11, ends as well as sides were painted Santa Fe reefer yellow/orange. Roofs painted with black paint containing granules mixed in for anti-slip safety. Beginning in 1938, ends were painted black to match the roof and end lettering returned to white. Post-1939 repaints saw the curved then straight map and slogans applied to these cars. (note: Rr-10 were 50’ cars) Periods in reporting marks were dropped beginning in 1944. 

Decal set designed and created at Protocraft 
Decals Printed by Microscale Industries 

For a comprehensive study of the Santa Fe’s ARA design wood reefers, see SFMO Vol 2, “Refrigerator Cars 1884-1979” pages 105-123.