Re: 40' Reefer Speed Lettering Confirmed Sighting

As I think about it, I shouldn't be surprised that people wonder if the 40 foot reefers had the flying "Rio Grande". After they were painted in the mid-fifties, I doubt many were used in freight consists any more. Instead, they might appear in an excursion train as you noticed. To my knowledge, I have never seen a photo of a late fifties or sixties freight with one in the consist. I never saw a freight myself with one. The only way I know they existed was I saw them parked in Alamosa and saw them as they were sold or scrapped at the end.
By the way, I do remember that there were a couple of very badly weathered reefers with remains of the "Royal Gorge-Moffat Tunnel" herald at the end of operations. I remember them because they stood out from the more recently painted "flying Rio Grande" cars. As to what numbers they were or what happened to them--being young and ignorant, I didn't notice at the time. I am sure there are photos of them somewhere.