Red Ball Freight and the Santa Fe

Santa Fe prided itself on its customer service.  Part of that service was the special handling afforded to priority freight.  The service evolved over the years, but was consistent in it’s affording on-time delivery and management attention to same.

Through at least the late 50’s the priority freight was known as “Red Ball Freight” on the Santa Fe.  System Circular 201 “Red Ball Freight Schedule” laid out the transportation plan for moving priority freight through the Santa Fe System and included coordinated truck schedules that improved the delivery times to stations on branches and secondary main lines.  As evidenced in their form index, Santa Fe used a number of pre-printed forms to assist in the management of Red Ball Freight.

The Form 139 Standard, “Car Card, ‘Special Freight’ Red Ball” that Bob kindly shared is listed in the 1927 Form index, but is gone by 1947.  Depression era modelers can definitely use it, post-war not so much, WWII like myself, TBD.  Of interest is the companion Form 140 Standard “Car Card G. F. X. Freight Red Ball” that also appears in the 1927 but not 1947 indices.  Those were Freight Department forms that helped identify cars for special handling.

Forms that facilitated management attention to Red Ball movements came from the Car Service Department with Form 1306 Special (AT&SF) Red Ball Freight Report in the 47 and 58 indices, Form 1333 Standard “33 Report” Report of Red Ball loads delivered to Connection and Form 1394 Standard “23 Report” Consist Report, Red Ball Freight that appear in both 27 and 47.  Then there is the one that really got management attention appearing in all three issues, 27, 47 & 58, Form 1399 Standard “29 Report” Daily Report of Red Ball Loads Delayed. 

Eventually the term Red Ball fell out of use (long after my era), but management attention to delayed priority freight continued for the life of the Santa Fe as an independent railroad as attested by Paul Nash. 

Copies of the System Circular schedule and the Form indices are available on the Society Website.

John Barry