lettering set for Northern Refrigerator Car Co’s 50’-11” express cars

The Northern Refrigerator Car Company was created in 1922 by the Cudahy Brothers, meat packers of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1928, the NRC was purchased by the Merchants Dispatch Transportation Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the New York Central Railroad, which took over the ownership of the NRC in 1942. Both the MDT and NRC continued to operate as separate companies. The NRC owned 549, 50’-11” wood-sheathed refrigerator cars with steel underframes all built by the Pullman company as follows.

Series 100-399, 300 cars, Pullman Car & Manufacturing Corp under Lot 5438 and delivered in 1928
Series 400-599, 200 cars, Pullman Car & Manufacturing Corpunder Lot 5468 and delivered in 1929
Series 801-849, 49 cars, Pullman Car & Manufacturing Corp under Lot 5495 and delivered in October 1932

Paint & Lettering: cars were painted a dark olive-green with yellow lettering, with data in heavy white lead. Roofs were normally black because they were covered with canvas and asphalt.

A very comprehensive and excellent study of these cars can be found in Pat Wider and Ed Hawkins “ Railway Prototype Cyclopedia, (RP CYC) Vol 7, pages 1-77.

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