BAR wooden reefers with potato logo

[Richard Glueck]

Does anyone have a photograph of a wooden BAR refrigerator car with the "Maine Potatoes" logo on the side? Were any of the wooden reefers painted in the red, white, and blue scheme?

I am building a 1/8th scale wooden reefer and would like to get it correct.

Thanks!

[Cowford]

One source is Jerry Angier's book, Bangor and Aroostook, pages 85, 273 (unfortunately b&w).

[Richard Glueck]

I don't have the book. Have you a scan of it? Was it red, white, and blue, or straight yellow?

[riffian]

I think I know what you are after, I'm just not sure that it is prototype. I have seen the HO models of the BAR wooden reefers with the potato logo. The BAR did not own refrigerator cars of their own until 1951, utilizing leased cars from MDT. In 1951 they purchased 339 second-hand, steel underframe, wooden refrigerator cars from MDT numbered in the 6000 to 6999 series. These cars were rebuilt, but had short lives on the BAR as they were originally built in 1926. The one photo I've seen portrays a car (#6514) in reefer yellow with black trim and logo. Sweetland and Horsley's "Northern New England Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment" states that "the series was short lived. After 1955 the number of 6000's on the roster decreased rapidly; the 600's spent their last few years in company ice service." The BAR started a massive buying program of both second-hand and new steel refrigerator cars which quickly replaced the few wooden cars.

Jerry Angier's book has almost no factual information on BAR equipment and does include some factual errors. The only photo I'm aware of, of a BAR wooden reefer is on page 16 of "Northern New England Color Guide to freight and Passenger equipment."

[Richard Glueck]

Riffian- Sounds like you have a good lead on the cars and information. There is a wooden reefer in a sandpit in Brownville Junction, just about stripped of paint, as well as wood, but I think it's a survivor of the fleet. Iirc, it was red, white, and blue, about 30 years ago, so I'll go with that and hope I 'm on solid ground. I only wish I was certain, since the investment in vinyl decals will be substantial.