Woodsided Reefers

Definitely some of the more colorful items on many a layout and some of my favorite rolling stock

www.toytrains1.com/atlas_reefers.htm 

Be prepared to spend some time.  John in Lansing, ILL

Did the law in 1936 or 1937 ban all billboard reefers, or just the ones whose billboards were not related to the actual owner of the car? For example, the famous “Old Dutch Clenser” billboard was on a car owned by Cudahy, a meat company (and why would clenser be advertised on a reefer, anyway)? The Swift cars, however were owned by and carried Swift meats, a commodity that definitely needs refrigeration, so were these banned? Seems like I recall some more modern steel Swift reefers having large logos much like the wooden versions. Were these not considered “billboards”? And what about even more modern cars than that, the Tropicana cars immediately come to mind. They certainly seem to be like billboards to me, or was the law rescinded at some point, allowing these cars to be legal?

Bill in FtL

scale rail posted:

Doug, wish I bought more. When K-line pulled the plug one of our forum sponsors was selling the K-line reefers for about $15 each. I thought they were very close in quality to Atlas. I bought a bunch of them but wish I would have gotten more Doggie Dinners. Don

Don, yes I think K-line did a nice job with their reefers.  I only have a few though.

During its waning days K-Line offered a reefer whose roof could be lifted to show the load of swinging beef.  Quite rare and very collectable.  John in Lansing, ILL

I supported the Arizona club that sold the Apache Beer car--one of two billboard reefers that I own.

I wonder if billboard cars of many types, could be brought back again to make extra money for railroads or car owners.   Imagine sitting at a crossing watching a parade of advertizements on a hopper train, intead of a steady stream of more or less the same blank car.  Seems like a captured audience of viewers to me.

Railgon posted:

I wonder if billboard cars of many types, could be brought back again to make extra money for railroads or car owners.   Imagine sitting at a crossing watching a parade of advertizements on a hopper train, intead of a steady stream of more or less the same blank car.  Seems like a captured audience of viewers to me.

Would violate the ICC Ruling of July, 1934.

Bill Nielsen posted:

Did the law in 1936 or 1937 ban all billboard reefers, or just the ones whose billboards were not related to the actual owner of the car? For example, the famous “Old Dutch Clenser” billboard was on a car owned by Cudahy, a meat company (and why would clenser be advertised on a reefer, anyway)? The Swift cars, however were owned by and carried Swift meats, a commodity that definitely needs refrigeration, so were these banned? Seems like I recall some more modern steel Swift reefers having large logos much like the wooden versions. Were these not considered “billboards”? And what about even more modern cars than that, the Tropicana cars immediately come to mind. They certainly seem to be like billboards to me, or was the law rescinded at some point, allowing these cars to be legal?

Bill in FtL

All the Billboard Reefers were privately owned.  And in 1934 the ICC ruled that all shall go as of January 1,1937 but then extended to January,1938.

I would really like to see the return of "Billboard Refers" etc. -  more interesting to collect and/or watch prototypes of double stacks go by.  Nothing like private interests  & gov regulators collunding.