Rich Pearlman shared these four photos with me that he shot as a kid in Bethesda. The car is sitting on what was the passing siding/team track in Bethesda. Thanks to some wonderful sleuthing by folks over on the Freight Car Enthusiasts Facebook Group, the car was identified. This is a General American Railcar 40′ mechanical refrigerator car, built 9/1957. I can’t read the rebuild date but similar cars have dates in the 1971-75 range. I also can’t make out the reporting marks, but I believe they are URTX based on what the FB group revealed and other photos that are online of similar cars.
This is an oddball to me. This refrigerator car parked in the yard in downtown Bethesda. Why? At this point, I don’t know what industry was left in Bethesda. I don’t think Maloney was even receiving rail cars at this point and most of the others had departed long ago. There was some LCL service and I’m assuming that’s what this was. But for who? And what was it transporting? A mystery that will likely go unsolved. Would love to hear your thoughts! And, thanks again, Rich!
Liquidometer 
Side view, looking toward downtown Bethesda 
Side view 
Side view, looking toward Bradley Blvd
Looks more like a 50′ rib side car. Certainly it is a mechanical reefer. URTX cars often handled meat.
It’s either a car that was unloaded in Bethesda or it was parked there because for some reason they didn’t want to take it to Marriott (ie, the siding was full-up or the car had been loaded from the wrong side and had to go back to Eckington to get wyed). In the years before this a lot of reefers wound up at team tracks and would be unloaded. This seems a bit late for that, but maybe.
Thanks, Chris! Love your insight. Hadn’t thought about Marriott, but that makes perfect sense. Brilliant.