A string of refrigerator cars owned by Pacific Fruit Express is mechanically-supplied with fresh ice at an Oxnard, California produce packing plant in the Spring of 1964. The unit could fill one car with 11,000 pounds of ice every 90 seconds.

A refrigerator car (or "reefer") is a refrigerated boxcar, a piece of railroad rolling stock designed to carry perishable freight at specific temperatures. Refrigerator cars differ from simple insulated boxcars and ventilated boxcars (commonly used for transporting fruit), neither of which are fitted with cooling apparati. Reefers can be ice-cooled, come equipped with any one of a variety of mechanical refrigeration systems, or utilize carbon dioxide (either as dry ice, or in liquid form) as a cooling agent. Milk cars (and other types of "express" reefers) may or may not include a cooling system, but are equipped with high-speed wheelsets and other modifications that allow them to travel with passenger trains. Image File history File links Icing_PFE_reefers_at_Oxnard_produce_packing_plant--Spring_1964. ... Image File history File links Icing_PFE_reefers_at_Oxnard_produce_packing_plant--Spring_1964. ... A string of refrigerator cars owned by Pacific Fruit Express is supplied with fresh ice in the Spring of 1964. ... Skyline of Oxnard, with its iconic rail transport and industrial (foreground respectively). ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... It has been suggested that Refrigerator be merged into this article or section. ... A boxcar (the American term; the British call this kind of car a goods van) is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to hold freight. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Rolling Stock banner Rolling Stock was a newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado by Ed Dorn and Jennifer Dunbar Dorn. ... Insulation must not be confused with insolation (the latter word has an o where the former has a u). Insulation is any material used to reduce or “slow down” or “resist” the flow of energy. ... Ventilation good and very bad Ventilation is air circulation of air, typically between a room, a tunnel, etc. ... Carbon dioxide is an atmospheric gas comprised of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... Carbon dioxide is an atmospheric gas comprised of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... A glass of cow milk Milk most often means the nutrient liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals. ... A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. ... For other uses, see Train (disambiguation). ...

Reefer applications can be divided into four broad groups: 1) dairy and poultry producers require refrigeration and special interior racks; 2) fruit and vegetable reefers tend to see seasonal use, and are generally used for long-distance shipping (for some shipments, only ventilation is necessary to remove the heat in transit created by the ripening process); 3) manufactured foods (such as canned goods and candy) as well as beer and wine do not require refrigeration, but do need the protection of an insulated car; and 4) meat reefers come equipped with specialized beef rails for handling sides of meat, and brine-tank refrigeration to provide lower temperatures (most of these units are either owned or leased by meat packing firms).

History

Background

Following the end of the American Civil War, Chicago, Illinois emerged as a major railway center for the distribution of livestock raised on the Great Plains to Eastern markets. Getting the animals to market required herds to be driven distances of up to 1200 miles (2000 km) to railheads in Kansas City, Missouri, whereupon they were loaded into specialized stock cars and transported live ("on-the-hoof") to regional processing centers. Driving cattle across the plains also led to tremendous weight loss, and a number of animals were typically lost along the way. Combatants Union (remaining U.S. states) Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 2,213,363 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 94,000 Total dead: 258,000 Wounded: 137,000+  The... Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Official website: http://egov. ... TIM TIM ... The Great Plains is the broad expanse of prairie which lies east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States of America and Canada, covering all or parts of the U.S. states of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota and the... A Railhead is a terminus of a railway line that interfaces with another tranport mode, for example shipping. ... Nickname: City of Fountains or Heart of America Official website: http://www. ... Missouri Pacific Lines all-wood stock car #52967, photographed at Pueblo, Colorado in March, 1937. ... Typically, processing describes the act of taking something through an established and usually routine set of procedures to convert it from one form to another, as a manufacturing procedure (processing milk into cheese) or administrative procedure (processing paperwork to grant a mortgage loan). ...

Upon arrival at the local processing facility, livestock were either slaughtered by wholesalers and delivered fresh to nearby butcher shops for retail sale, smoked, or packed for shipment in barrels of salt. Certain costly inefficiencies were inherent in the process of transporting live animals by rail, particularly the fact that about sixty percent of the animal's mass is inedible. The death of animals weakened by the long drive further increased the per-unit shipping cost. Meat packer Gustavus Swift began looking for a way to ship dressed meats from his packing plant in Chicago to the East. Slaughter may refer to: result of slaughtering, see slaughterhouse a music group Slaughter Jimmy Ray Slaughter awaiting execution in Oklahoma amidst brain fingerprinting controversy This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Gustavus Franklin Swift (June 24, 1839–March 29, 1903) founded a meat-packing empire in the Midwest during the late 19th century, over which he presided until his death. ...

Early attempts at refrigerated transport

A number of attempts were made during the mid-1800s to ship agricultural products via rail car. As early as 1842, the Western Railroad of Massachusetts was reported in the June 15 edition of the Boston Traveler to be experimenting with innovative freight car designs capable of carrying all types of perishable goods without spoilage. The first refrigerated boxcar entered service in June 1851, on the Northern Railroad of New York (or NRNY, which later became part of the Rutland Railroad). This "icebox on wheels" was a limited success in that it was only able to function in cold weather. That same year, the Ogdensburg & Lake Champlain Railroad (O&LC) began shipping butter to Boston in purpose-built freight cars, utilizing ice to cool the contents. 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Boston and Albany Railroad (AAR reporting mark BA) was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... A railroad car (or, more briefly, car), also known as an item of rolling stock in British parlance, is a vehicle on a railroad or railway that is not a locomotive - one that provides another purpose than purely haulage, although some types of car are powered. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Northern Railroad of New York (AAR reporting mark NRNY) was incorporated on May 14, 1845. ... The Rutland Railroad was a small railroad in the north-eastern United States, primarily in the state of Vermont but extending into the state of New York. ...

An advertisement taken from the 1st edition (1879) of the Car-Builders Dictionary for the Tiffany Refrigerator Car Company, a pioneer in the design of refrigerated railroad cars.

The first consignment of dressed beef to ever leave the Chicago stockyards did so in 1857, and was carried in ordinary boxcars retrofitted with bins filled with ice. Placing the meat directly against ice resulted in discoloration and affected the taste, however, and therefore proved to be impractical. During the same period Swift experimented by moving cut meat using a string of ten boxcars which ran with their doors removed, and made a few test shipments to New York during the winter months over the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR). The method proved to too limited to be practical. Image File history File links Tiffany_ad_1879_CBD.jpg Summary An advertisement taken from the 1st edition (1879) of the Car-Builders Dictionary for the Tiffany Refrigerator Car Company, a pioneer in the design of refrigerated railroad cars. ... Image File history File links Tiffany_ad_1879_CBD.jpg Summary An advertisement taken from the 1st edition (1879) of the Car-Builders Dictionary for the Tiffany Refrigerator Car Company, a pioneer in the design of refrigerated railroad cars. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A boxcar (the American term; the British call this kind of car a goods van) is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to hold freight. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 455 km 530 km 13. ... Grand Trunk Railway logo or herald The Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) was a historic railway system headquartered in Montreal, Quebec which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. ...

Detroit's William Davis patented a refrigerator car that employed metal racks to suspend the carcasses above a frozen mixture of ice and salt. He sold the design in 1868 to George Hammond, a Chicago meat-packer, who built a set of cars to transport his products to Boston. The loads had the unfortunate tendency of swinging to one side when the car entered a curve at high speed, and the use of the units was discontinued after several derailments. Finally, in 1878, Swift hired engineer Andrew Chase to design a ventilated car that was well-insulated, and positioned the ice in a compartment at the top of the car, allowing the chilled air to flow naturally downward. The meat was packed tightly at the bottom of the car to keep the center of gravity low and to prevent the cargo from shifting. Chase's design proved to be a practical solution to providing temperature-controlled carriage of dressed meats, and allowed Swift and Company to ship their products all over the United States and internationally. Nickname: Motor City Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Official website: www. ... William (Bill) Grenville Davis (born July 30, 1929 in Brampton, Ontario) was the Progressive Conservative Premier of Ontario from 1971 to 1985. ... Major General (later Lieutenant General) George S. Hammond, is a fictional character in the Stargate SG-1 television program, played by Don S. Davis. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Gustavus Franklin Swift (June 24, 1839–March 29, 1903) founded a meat-packing empire in the Midwest during the late nineteenth century, over which he presided until his death. ...

Swift's attempts to sell Chase's design to the major railroads were unanimously rebuffed, as the companies feared that they would jeopardize their considerable investments in stock cars, animal pens, and feedlots if refrigerated meat transport gained wide acceptance. In response, Swift financed the initial production run on his own, then — when the American roads refused his business — he contracted with the GTR (a railroad that derived little income from transporting live cattle) to haul the cars into Michigan and then eastward through Canada. In 1880, the Peninsular Car Company (subsequently purchased by ACF) delivered to Swift the first of these units, and the Swift Refrigerator Line (SRL) was created. Within a year the Line’s roster had risen to nearly 200 units, and Swift was transporting an average of 3,000 carcasses a week to Boston, Massachusetts. Competing firms such as Armour and Company quickly followed suit. By 1920 the SRL owned and operated 7,000 of the ice-cooled rail cars; the General American Transportation Corporation would assume ownership of the line in 1930. Missouri Pacific Lines all-wood stock car #52967, photographed at Pueblo, Colorado in March, 1937. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 10th 102,384 sq mi  265,172 km² 239 miles  385 km 491 miles  790 km 41. ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Official website: www. ... Philip Danforth Armour (1832-1901) was born in Stockbridge, New York, of Scotch-Irish descent. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... General American Transportation Corporation or GATX (the company changed their name to their most common reporting mark) is a railway equipment leasing company. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

A builder's photo of one of the first refrigerator cars to come out of the Detroit plant of the American Car and Foundry Company (ACF), built in 1899 for the Swift Refrigerator Line.

Live cattle and dressed beef deliveries to New York (short tons): One of the first cars out of the Detroit plant of American Car & Foundry (formerly Peninsular Car Company). ... One of the first cars out of the Detroit plant of American Car & Foundry (formerly Peninsular Car Company). ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... American Car and Foundry (often abbreviated as ACF) is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock. ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A builders photo of one of the first refrigerator cars to come out of the Detroit plant of the American Car and Foundry Company (ACF), built in 1899 for the Swift Refrigerator Line. ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 2000 lb (exactly 907. ...

The subject cars travelled on the Erie, Lackawanna, New York Central, and Pennsylvania railroads. The Erie Railroad (AAR reporting mark ERIE) was a railroad that operated in New York State, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, connecting New York City with Lake Erie, and extending west to Cleveland, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois. ... The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company (DL&W or Lackawanna) (AAR reporting mark DLW) was a railroad connecting Pennsylvanias Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to New York City, Buffalo and Oswego, New York. ... The New York Central Railroad (AAR reporting mark NYC), known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the North-Eastern United States. ... 1893 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad existing 1846–1968, after which it merged into Penn Central Transportation. ...

Source: Railway Review, January 29, 1887, p. 62. January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ...

A circa 1870 refrigerator car design. Hatches in the roof provided access to the ice tanks at each end.

19th Century American Refrigerator Cars: Early refrigerator car design, circa 1870. ... Early refrigerator car design, circa 1870. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Source: Poor's Manual of Railroads and ICC and U.S. Census reports. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC; 1887 - 1995) was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. ... The U.S. Census is mandated by the United States Constitution. ...

The "Ice Age"

For most of the 1800s, natural ice (harvested from ponds and lakes) was used to supply the various refrigerator car lines. At high altitudes or northern latitudes, one-foot tanks were often filled with water and allowed to freeze. Ice was typically cut into blocks during the winter months and stored in insulated warehouses for use during the rest of the year, where sawdust and hay was packed around the ice blocks to provide additional thermal protection. By the turn of the century, artificially-produced ice became more common. For example, the PFE maintained 7 natural harvesting facilities, and operated 18 artificial ice plants. Their largest plant (located in Roseville, California) produced 1,200 short tons of ice each day; Roseville’s docks could accommodate up to 254 cars at a time. At the industry’s peak, 13 million short tons of ice was produced for refrigerator car use every year. Events and Trends Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). ... Map Location of Roseville Political Statistics Incorporated April 10, 1909 County Placer Mayor Gina Garbolino(D) Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 79. ...

Men harvest ice on Michigan's Lake Saint Clair, circa 1905. The ice would be cut into blocks and hauled by wagon to a specially-designed cold storage warehouse, and held until needed. Image File history File links Ice_Harvesting_on_Lake_St_Clair_Michigan_circa_1905--photograph_courtesy_Detroit_Publishing_Company. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 10th 102,384 sq mi  265,172 km² 239 miles  385 km 491 miles  790 km 41. ... There are a number of lakes named Lake Saint Clair or Lake St Clair. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Ice blocks (also called "cakes") are manually placed into reefers from a covered icing dock. Each block weighed between 200 and 400 pounds; crushed ice was typically used for meat cars. Image File history File links Men_loading_ice_blocks_into_reefers. ...

An early version of a field icing car loads a Merchants Despatch Transportation Co. reefer (bearing the herald of the GM&O) in Norfolk, Virginia on April 19, 1955. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x420, 77 KB)Ice is loaded into a Merchants Despatch Transportation Co. ... The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio ( AAR reporting mark GMO) was a railroad carrier in the central United States, with its primary routes from Chicago to Mobile, Alabama and Kansas City, Missouri. ... Nickname: Motto: Crescas (Latin for, Thou shalt grow. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The "business end" of a mechanical ice loading system services a line of Pacific Fruit Express refrigerator cars. Each car will require approximately 5½ short tons (5 metric tons) of ice. Image File history File links Mechanical_Ice_Loader. ... A tonne (also called metric ton) is a non-SI unit of mass, accepted for use with SI, defined as: 1 tonne = 103 kg (= 106 g). ...

Workmen top off a reefer's top-mounted bunkers with crushed ice.

The typical service cycle for an ice-cooled produce reefer (generally handled as a part of a block of cars): Image File history File links Topping_off_FGE_reefer_with_ice. ... Image File history File links Topping_off_FGE_reefer_with_ice. ...

1. The cars were cleaned with hot water or steam.
2. Depending on the cargo, the cars might have undergone 4 hours of "pre-cooling" prior to loading, which entailed blowing in cold air through one ice hatch and allowing the warmer air to be expelled through the other hatches. The practice (which dates back almost to the inception of the refrigerator car) saved ice and resulted in fresher cargo.
3. The cars' ice bunkers were filled, either manually from an icing dock, via mechanical loading equipment, or (in locations where demand for ice was sporadic) using specially-designed field icing cars.
4. The cars were delivered to the shipper for loading, and the ice was topped-off.
5. Depending on the cargo and destination, the cars may have been fumigated.
6. The train would depart for the eastern markets.
7. The cars were re-iced in transit approximately once a day.
8. Upon reaching their destination, the cars were unloaded.
9. If in demand, the cars would be returned to their point-of-origin empty; if not in demand, the cars would be cleaned and (if possible) used for a dry shipment.

This engraving of Tiffany’s original "Summer and Winter Car" appeared in the Railroad Gazette just before Joel Tiffany received his refrigerator car patent in July, 1877. Tiffany's design mounted the ice tank in a clerestory atop the car's roof, and relied on a train's motion to circulate cool air throughout the cargo space. Image File history File links Tiffany_RRG_1877. ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Clerestory or (clear storey), in architecture, denotes an upper storey of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. ...

A Pullman-built "shorty" reefer bears the Armour Packing Co.   ·   Kansas City logo, circa 1885. The name of the "patentee" was displayed on the car's exterior, a practice intended to "...impress the shipper and intimidate the competition...," even though most patents covered trivial or already-established design concepts. A Pullman-built shorty reefer bearing the Armour Packing Co. ... The Pullman Palace Car Company, owned by George Pullman, manufactured railroad train cars in the mid to late 1800s through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. ... A Reefer is: another term for a Spliff, a cigarette made with cannabis a refrigerated ship - see Reefer (ship) a refrigerated railroad wagon - see Reefer (railroad) a marine aquarist who maintains corals, sea anemones and other invertebrates of the coral reefs, with or without fishes a type of warm jacket... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

A rare double-door refrigerator car utilized the "Hanrahan System of Automatic Refrigeration" as built by ACF, circa 1898. The car had a single, centrally-located ice bunker which was said to offer better cold air distribution. The two segregated cold rooms were well-suited for less-than-carload (LCL) shipments. Image File history File links Reefers-shorty-ATSF-CM-type-1898-cyc_ACF_builders_photo. ... American Car and Foundry (often abbreviated as ACF) is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock. ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

A pre-1911 "shorty" reefer bears an advertisement for Anheuser-Busch's Malt Nutrine tonic. The use of similar "billboard" advertising on freight cars was banned by the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1937, and thereafter cars so decorated could no longer be accepted for interchange between roads. Image File history File links Reefers-shorty-Anheuser-Busch-Malt-Nutrine_ACF_builders_photo_pre-1911. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Anheuser-Busch NYSE: BUD, the worlds third largest brewing company in volume after InBev and SABMiller, is based in St. ... Generally speaking, advertising is the promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas, usually by an identified sponsor. ... A railroad car (or, more briefly, car), also known as an item of rolling stock in British parlance, is a vehicle on a railroad or railway that is not a locomotive - one that provides another purpose than purely haulage, although some types of car are powered. ... The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC; 1887 - 1995) was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... An interchange is a location where two things meet, usually perform some kind of exchange, and possibly go on their ways again. ...

Refrigerator cars required effective insulation to protect their delicate contents from temperature extremes. "Hairfelt" derived from compressed cattle fur, sandwiched into the floor and walls of the car, was inexpensive but flawed — over its three- to four-year service life it would decay, rotting out the car's wooden partitions and tainting the cargo with a foul odor in the process. The relatively higher cost of other less sensitive materials such as "Linofelt" (woven from flax fibers) or cork prevented their widespread adoption. Synthetic materials such as fiberglass and polystyrene, both introduced after World War II, offered the most cost-effective and efficient solution. Felt was also the name of a 1980s UK Indie band. ... Binomial name Linum usitatissimum Linnaeus. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 51. ... Fiberglass or fibreglass is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. ... Polystyrene is a polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II...

Mechanical refrigeration

In the latter half of the 20th century mechanical refrigeration began to replace ice-based systems. The mechanical refrigeration units proved their worth in replacing the "armies" of personnel that were no longer needed to re-ice the cars periodically. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

A cutaway illustration of a conventional mechanical refrigerator car, which typically contains in excess of 800 moving parts. Image File history File links Cutaway_PFE_mechanical. ...

A modern refrigerator car: note the grill at the lower right (the car's "A" end) where the mechanical refrigeration unit is housed. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 331 KB) ARMN 761511, a refrigerator car in use on May 29, 2005, seen at Rochelle Railroad Park, Rochelle, Illinois. ...

State-of-the-art mechanical refrigerator car designs place the removable, end-mounted refrigeration unit outside of the freight compartment in order to facilitate access for servicing or replacement. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (658x767, 75 KB)ARMN #110386, a mechanical reefer photographed @Clarke, Ontario, Canada in April, 2005. ...

A modern mechanical refrigerator car, outfitted for high-speed service, bears the colors and markings of Amtrak Express, Amtrak's freight and shipping service. Image File history File linksMetadata Amtk74049. ... Amtrak Express is Amtraks freight and shipping service. ... Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida Amtrak’s high-speed Acela Express at Penn Station New York, NY Amtrak, is the brand name of the intercity passenger train system created on May 1, 1971 in the United States. ...

Cryogenic refrigeration

Cryogenic refrigerator cars, such as those owned and operated by Cryo-Trans, Inc., are still used today to transport frozen food products, including french fries. Today, Cryo-Trans operates a fleet in excess of 515 cryogenic railcars.

The Topeka, Kansas shops of the Santa Fe Railway built five experimental refrigerator cars employing liquid nitrogen as the cooling agent in 1965. A fine mist of liquified nitrogen was released throughout the car if the temperature rose above a pre-determined level. Each car carried 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg of refrigerant and could maintain a temperature of minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (−30 °C). Image File history File links Cryx2038-1. ... Image File history File links Cryx2038-1. ... French fried potatoes (North America; often shortened to French fries or fries) or chips (outside North America) are long, narrow pieces of potato that have been deep-fried. ... Map Political Statistics Founded December 5, 1854 Incorporated February 14, 1857 County Shawnee County Mayor Bill Bunten Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 147. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 14. ... The pound is the name of a number of units of mass, all in the range of 300 to 600 grams. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ...

During the 1990s, a few railcar manufacturers experimented with the use of liquid carbon dioxide (CO₂) as a cooling agent. The move was in response to rising fuel costs, and was an attempt to eliminate the standard mechanical refrigeration systems that required periodic maintenance. The CO₂ system can keep the car's load frozen solid for periods as long as 14 to 16 days, if necessary. Several hundred "cryogenic" refrigerator cars were placed into service transporting frozen foodstuffs, though they failed to gain wide acceptance (due, in part, to the steadily-rising cost of liquid carbon dioxide). Since cryogenic refrigeration is a proven technology and environmentally friendly, the raising price of fuel and the increased availability of carbon dioxide from Kyoto Protocol induced capturing techniques might cause a resurgence in cryogenic railcar usage. Cryogenics is the study of very low temperatures or the production of the same, and is often confused with cryobiology, the study of the effect of low temperatures on organisms, or the study of cryopreservation. ...

Cryo-Trans, Inc. (founded in 1985) has since dedicated 200 of its refrigerated cars to wine transportation service. This article is about the year. ...

Experimentation

Aluminum and stainless steel

In 1946, the Pacific Fruit Express procured from the Consolidated Steel Corporation of Wilmington, California two 40-foot aluminum-bodied ventilator refrigerator cars, in order to compare the durability of the lightweight alloy versus that of steel. It was hoped that weight savings (the units weighed almost 10,000 pounds less than a like-sized all-steel car) and better corrosion resistance would offset the higher initial cost. One of the aluminum car bodies was manufactured by Alcoa (PFE #44739), while the other was built by the Reynolds Aluminum Company (PFE #45698). 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Consolidated Steel Corporation built ships durring World War II in two locations: Wilmington, California and Orange, Texas. ... General Phineas Banning Wilmington, California is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, with industry as its primary economical activity. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... Alcoa (NYSE: AA) is the world’s leading producer of alumina, primary and fabricated aluminium, with operations in 43 countries. ...

The cars (which were outfitted with state-of-the-art fiberglass insulation and fans driven by the car's axles for internal air circulation) traveled throughout the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific systems, where they were displayed to promote PFE's post-World War II modernization efforts. Though both units remained in service over 15 years (#45698 was destroyed in a wreck in May, 1962, while #44739 was scrapped in 1966), no additional aluminum reefers were ever constructed, cost being the likely reason. Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II...

Also in 1946, the Consolidated Steel delivered the world's only reefer to have a stainless steel car body to the Santa Fe Refrigerator Despatch. The 40-foot car was equipped with convertible ice bunkers, side ventilation ducts, and axle-driven circulation fans. It was thought that stainless steel would better resist the corrosive deterioration resulting from salting the ice. The one-of-a-kind unit entered service as #13000, but was subsequently redesignated as #1300. That number conflicted with a Santa Fe passenger car, and was given #4150 in 1955. In metallurgy, stainless steel (inox) is defined as a ferrous alloy with a minimum of 10. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

#4150 spent most of its life in express service. Cost was cited as the reason no additional units were ever ordered. The car was dismantled at Clovis, New Mexico in February, 1964. Clovis, New Mexico is a small city located in Curry County, New Mexico, United States, with a population of approximately 32,700 (2000 census). ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ...

Dry ice

The SFRD briefly experimented with dry ice as a cooling agent in 1931. The compound was readily-available and seemed like an ideal replacement for frozen water. Dry ice melts at minus 109 degrees Fahrenheit (versus 32 degrees above zero for conventional ice) and was twice as effective thermodynamically. Overall weight was reduced as the need for brine and water was eliminated. 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ...

While the higher cost of dry ice was certainly a drawback, logistical issues in loading long lines of cars efficiently prevented it from gaining acceptance over conventional ice. Worst of all, it was found that dry ice can adversely affect the color and flavor of certain foods if placed in too close a proximity to them.

Hopper cars

ACFX #47633, one of 100 specially-built "Conditionaire" centerflow hoppers operated by the Santa Fe Railway.

In 1969, the Burlington Northern Railroad ordered a number of modified covered hopper cars from American Car and Foundry for transporting perishable food in bulk. The 55-foot-long cars were blanketed with a layer of insulation, were equipped with roof hatches for loading, and had centerflow openings along the bottom to allow for fast discharge of the contents. A mechanical refrigeration unit was installed at each end of the car, where sheet metal ducting forced the cool air into the cargo compartments. Image File history File links Santa_Fe_Conditionaire_Covered_Hopper. ... Image File history File links Santa_Fe_Conditionaire_Covered_Hopper. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Categories: Rail stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | California railroads | Colorado railroads | Idaho railroads | Illinois railroads | Iowa railroads | Kansas railroads | Kentucky railroads | Minnesota railroads | Missouri railroads | Montana railroads | Nebraska railroads | North Dakota railroads | Oregon railroads | South Dakota railroads | Washington railroads | Wisconsin railroads | Wyoming railroads ... DME 49328, a covered hopper owned and operated by the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad. ... American Car and Foundry (often abbreviated as ACF) is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock. ...

The units, which were rated at 100 short tons load carrying capacity (more than twice that provided by the largest conventional refrigerator car of the day) were obviously economical to load and unload, as no secondary packaging was required. Apples, carrots, onions, and potatoes were transported in this manner with some success. Oranges, on the other hand, tended to burst under their own weight, even after wooden baffles were installed to better distribute the load. The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ...

The Santa Fe Railway leased 100 of the hoppers from ACF, and in April, 1972 purchased 100 new units. The cars' irregular, bright orange outer surface tended to collect dirt easily, and proved difficult to clean as well. Santa Fe eventually relegated the cars to more typical, non-refrigerated applications. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ...

Timeline

• 1842: The Western Railroad of Massachusetts experiments with innovative freight car designs capable of carrying all types of perishable goods without spoilage.
• 1851: The first refrigerated boxcar enters service on the Northern Railroad of New York.
• 1857: The first consignment of refrigerated, dressed beef travels from Chicago stockyards to the East Coast in ordinary box cars packed with ice.
• 1866: Horticulturist Parker Earle ships strawberries in iced boxes by rail from southern Illinois to Chicago on the Illinois Central Railroad.
• 1868: William Davis of Detroit, Michigan develops a refrigerator car cooled by a frozen ice-salt mixture, and patents it in the U.S. The patent is subsequently sold to George Hammond, a local meat packer who goes on to amass a fortune in refrigerated shipping.
• 1876: German engineer Carl von Linde develops one of the first mechanical refrigeration systems.
• 1878: Gustavus Swift (along with engineer Andrew Chase) develops the first practical ice-cooled railcar; soon thereafter, Swift forms the Swift Refrigerator Line (SRL), the world's first.
• 1880: The first patent for a mechanically-refrigerated railcar issued in the United States is granted to Charles William Cooper.
• 1884: The Santa Fe Refrigerator Despatch (SFRD) is established as a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to carry perishable commodities.
• 1885: Berries from Norfolk, Virginia are shipped by refrigerator car to New York.
• 1887 Parker Earle joined F.A. Thomas of Chicago in the fruit shipping business. The company owned 60 ice-cooled railcars by 1888, and 600 by 1891.
• 1888: Armour & Co. ships beef from Chicago to Florida in a car cooled by ethyl chloride-compression machinery. Florida oranges are shipped to New York under refrigeration for the first time.
• 1889: The first cooled shipment of deciduous fruit from California is sold on the New York market.
• 1898: Russia's first refrigerator cars enter service. The country's inventory will reach 1,900 by 1908, grow to 3,000 just two years later, and top out at approximately 5,900 by 1916. The cars were utilized mainly for transporting butter from Siberia to the Baltic Sea (a 12-day journey).
• 1899: Refrigerated fruit traffic within the U.S. reaches 90,000 short tons per year; Transport from California to NY averaged 12 days in 1900.
• 1901: Carl von Linde equips a Russian train with a mobile, central mechanical refrigeration plant to distribute cooling to cars carrying perishable goods; similar systems will be used in Russia as late as 1975.
• 1905: U.S. traffic in refrigerated fruit reaches 430,000 short tons.
• 1907: The Pacific Fruit Express begins operations with more than 6,000 refrigerated cars, transporting fruit and vegetables across the United States from Western producers to Eastern consumers. U.S. traffic in refrigerated fruit hits 600,000 short tons.
• 1913: The number of thermally-insulated railcars (most of which were cooled by ice) in the U.S. tops 100,000.
• 1920: The Fruit Growers Express (or FGE, a former subsidiary of the Armour Refrigerator Line) is formed using 4,280 reefers acquired from Armour & Co.
• 1923: FGE and the Great Northern Railway for the Western Fruit Express (WFE) in order to compete with the Pacific Fruit Express and Santa Fe Refrigerator Despatch in the West.
• 1925–1930: Mechanically-refrigerated trucks enter service and gain public acceptance, particularly for the delivery of milk and ice cream.
• 1926: The FGE expands its service into the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest through the WFE and the Burlington Refrigerator Express Company (BREX), its other partly-owned subsidiary. FGE purchases 2,676 reefers from the Pennsylvania Railroad.
• 1928: The FGE forms the National Car Company as a subsidiary to service the meat transportation market; customers include Kahns, Oscar Mayer, and Rath.
• 1930: The number of refrigerator cars in the United States reaches its maximum of approximately 183,000 units.
• 1931: The SFRD reconfigures 7 reefers to utilize dry ice as a cooling agent.
• 1936: The first all-steel reefers enter service.
• 1937: The Interstate Commerce Commission bans "billboard" type advertisements on railroad cars.
• 1946: Two experimental aluminum-body refrigerator cars enter service on the PFE; an experimental reefer with a stainless-steel body is built for the SFRD.
• 1950: The U.S. refrigerator car roster drops to 127,200.
• 1958: The first mechanical reefers (utilizing diesel-powered refrigeration units) enter revenue service.
• 1960s: The flush, "plug" style sliding door is introduced as an option that provides a larger door to ease loading and unloading of certain commodities. The tight-fitting doors are better insulated and allow a car's interior to be maintained at a more even temperature.
• 1969: ACF constructs a number of experimental center flow hopper cars which incorporate mechanical cooling systems and insulated cargo cells; the units are intended for shipment of bulk perishables.
• 1971: The last ice-cooled reefers are retired from service.
• 1980: The U.S. refrigerator car roster drops to 80,000.
• 1990s: The first cryogenically-cooled reefers enter service.
• 2001: The number of refrigerator cars in the United States "bottoms out" at approximately 8,000.
• 2005: The number of reefers in the United States climbs to approximately 25,000, the result of significant new refrigerator car orders.

1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Boston and Albany Railroad (AAR reporting mark BA) was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Northern Railroad of New York (AAR reporting mark NRNY) was incorporated on May 14, 1845. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... The Illinois Central (AAR reporting mark IC) was a railroad carrier in the central United States, with its primary routes from Chicago to New Orleans and Sioux Falls. ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Nickname: Motor City Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Official website: www. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Carl Paul Gottfried von Linde (born 11 June 1842 in Berndorf (Oberfranken); died 16 November 1934 in Munich) was a German engineer who developed the basics of modern refrigeration technology. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AAR reporting mark ATSF), often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the largest railroads in the United States. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Nickname: Motto: Crescas (Latin for, Thou shalt grow. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 455 km 530 km 13. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... Ethyl chloride is a chemical compound once widely used in producing tetraethyl lead, a gasoline additive. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170,451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 - The Royal Army Medical Corps first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... Siberia is also an album by Echo & The Bunnymen. ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53 deg. ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... A Great Northern train pauses for the photographer four miles west of Minot, North Dakota in 1914. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1893 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad existing 1846–1968, after which it merged into Penn Central Transportation. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Oscar Mayer is an American meat and cold cut production company, now owned by Kraft Foods, that is famous for its hot dogs, bologna, bacon and Lunchables products. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Specialized applications

Express service

An REA express reefer is positioned at the head end of Santa Fe train No.8, the Fast Mail Express, in 1965.

Standard refrigerated transport is often utilized for good with less than 14 days of refrigerated "shelf life": avocados, cut flowers, green leafy vegetables, lettuce, mangos, meat products, mushrooms, peaches and nectarines, pineapples and papayas, sweet cherries, and tomatoes. "Express" reefers are typically employed in the transport of special perishables: commodities with a refrigerated shelf life of less than 7 days such as human blood, fish, green onions, milk, strawberries, and certain pharmaceuticals. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (468x661, 25 KB)An REA express reefer is positioned at the head end of Santa Fe train No. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (468x661, 25 KB)An REA express reefer is positioned at the head end of Santa Fe train No. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

The earliest express-service refrigerator cars entered service around 1890, shortly after the first express train routes were established in North America. The cars did not, however, come into general use until the early 20th century. Most units designed for express service are larger than their standard counterparts, and are typically constructed more along the lines of baggage cars than freight equipment. Cars must be equipped with speed-rated trucks and brakes, and — if they are to be run ahead of the passenger car consist — must also incorporate an air line for pneumatic braking, a communication signal air line, and a steam line for train heating. Express units were typically painted in passenger car colors, such as Pullman green. 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... A restored CN baggage car in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. ... The Pullman Palace Car Company, owned by George Pullman, manufactured railroad train cars in the mid to late 1800s through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. ...

The first purpose-built express reefer emerged from the Erie Railroad's Susquehanna Shops on August 1, 1886. By 1927, some 2,218 express cars traveled over America's rails; three years later, that number had grown to 3,264. In 1940, private rail lines began to build and operate their own reefers, the Railway Express Agency (REA) being by far the largest. In 1948, the REA roster (which would continue to expand into the 1950s) numbered approximately 1,800 cars, many of which were World War II "troop sleepers" modified for express refrigerated transport. By 1965, due to an industry-wide decline in refrigerated rail traffic, many express reefers were found in lease service to railroad companies for use as bulk mail carriers. The Erie Railroad (AAR reporting mark ERIE) was a railroad that operated in New York State, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, connecting New York City with Lake Erie, and extending west to Cleveland, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... The Railway Express Agency was a rail express service, at one point the only one in the United States. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II... In U.S. railroad terminology, a troop sleeper was a rail car which had been converted to serve as something of a mobile barracks for transporting troops distances sufficient to require overnight accomodations. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

Pacific Fruit Express #722, an ice-cooled, express-style refrigerator car designed to carry milk in stainless steel cans and other highly-perishable cargo at the head end of passenger train consists.

Railway Express Agency refrigerator car #6687, a converted World War II "troop sleeper." Note the square panels along the sides that cover the former window openings.

Image File history File links Pfe722. ... Image File history File links Pfe722. ... In metallurgy, stainless steel (inox) is defined as a ferrous alloy with a minimum of 10. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1212x549, 42 KB)REX Refrigerator car #6687, a converted WWII Troop Sleeper. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1212x549, 42 KB)REX Refrigerator car #6687, a converted WWII Troop Sleeper. ...

Intermodal

An intermodal train containing mechanically-cooled highway trailers in "piggyback" service passes through the Cajon Pass in February, 1995.

For many years, virtually all of the perishable traffic in the United States belonged to the railroads. But while the railroads were subject to government regulation regarding shipping rates, trucking companies could set their own rate for hauling agricultural products, giving them a competitive edge. In March 1979, the ICC exempted rail transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables from all economic regulation. Image File history File links Vonsvans01022. ... Image File history File links Vonsvans01022. ... The Cajon Pass (elevation 4,190 ft/1,277 m) is a mountain pass separating the San Bernardino Mountains from the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in the United States. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC; 1887 - 1995) was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. ...

Once the "Agricultural Exemption Clause" was removed from the Interstate Commerce Act, railroad companies began aggressively pursuing trailer-on-flatcar (TOFC) business (a form of intermodal freight transport) for refrigerated trailers. Taking this strategy one step further, a number of carriers (including the PFE and SFRD) purchased their own refrigerated trailers in order to compete directly with interstate trucking concerns. An intermodal train carrying both shipping containers and highway semi-trailers in piggyback service, on flatcars, passes through the Cajon Pass in February, 1995. ...

The final chapter has not, as many industry insiders have predicted, been written for the refrigerator car in America. The dawn of the 21st century has seen the first significant reefer orders since the early 1970s. The 21st century is the century that began on 1 January 2001 and will last to 31 December 2100. ...

Tropicana "Juice Train"

Main article: Juice Train

Tropicana #3053, one of the cars of the "Great White Fleet."

In 1970, Tropicana orange juice was shipped in bulk via insulated boxcars in one weekly round-trip from Florida to Kearny, New Jersey. By the following year, the company was operating two 60-car unit trains a week, each carrying around 1 million U.S. gallons (4 million liters) of juice. On June 7, 1971 the "Great White Juice Train" (the first unit train in the food industry, consisting of 150 one hundred short ton insulated boxcars fabricated in the Alexandria, Virginia shops of Fruit Growers Express) commenced service over the 1,250-mile (2,000-kilometer) route. An additional 100 cars were soon incorporated into the fleet, and small mechanical refrigeration units were installed to keep temperatures constant on hot days. Tropicana saved $40 million in fuel costs alone during the first ten years in operation. Seaboard System # 5501, a GE B30-7 diesel-electric locomotive, did the honors for the 1,000th trip to Kearny, New Jersey of Tropicanas Juice Train photo courtesy of Juice Train Enthusiasts Yahoo Group Juice Train is the popular name for famous unit trains of Tropicana fresh orange juice... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (873x285, 46 KB)Tropicana #3053, a mechanical reefer. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (873x285, 46 KB)Tropicana #3053, a mechanical reefer. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Insulation must not be confused with insolation (the latter word has an o where the former has a u). Insulation is any material used to reduce or “slow down” or “resist” the flow of energy. ... A boxcar (the American term; the British call this kind of car a goods van) is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to hold freight. ... Kearny is a town located in Hudson County, New Jersey. ... The gallon (abbr. ... The litre (spelled litre in Commonwealth English and liter in American English) is a unit of volume. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ... Old Town Alexandria, viewed from the west, as seen from the observation deck of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. ... C&O #402021, an insulated boxcar, bears the colors and markings of the Fruit Growers Express Solid Gold line. ... A mile is a unit of distance (or, in physics terminology, length) currently defined as 5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, or 63,360 inches. ... A kilometer (Commonwealth spelling: kilometre), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1,000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ...

AAR classificatons

  Note: Class B refrigerator cars are those designed for passenger service; insulated boxcars are designated Class L.

  Source: The Great Yellow Fleet, p. 126.

References

• Boyle, Elizabeth and Rodolfo Estrada (1994) "Development of the U.S. Meat Industry" — Kansas State University Department of Animal Sciences and Industry.
• Hendrickson, Richard and Richard E. Scholz. (1986). "Reefer car 13000: a postmortem." The Santa Fé Route IV (2) 8.
• Kutner, Jon Jr. "Swift and Company" — The Handbook of Texas Online.
• Pearce, Bill. (2005). "Express Reefer from troop sleeper in N." Model Railroader 72 (12) 62–65.
• Reefer Operations on Model Railroads with an emphasis on the ATSF April 15, 2005 article at The Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society official website — accessed on November 7, 2005.
• Swift & Company (1920) The Meat Packing Industry in America. Swift & Company, Chicago, Illinois.
• Thompson, Anthony W. et al. (1992). Pacific Fruit Express. Signature Press, Wilton, CA. ISBN 1-930013-03-5.
• White, John H. (1986). The Great Yellow Fleet. Golden West Books, San Marino, CA. ISBN 0-87095-091-6.
• White, Jr., John H. (1993). The American Railroad Freight Car. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. ISBN 0-8018-5236-6.

External links

• Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railway #21335 — photo and short history of a steel-sheathed "billboard" car.
• "Coast to Coast" article by Richard Hendrickson at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum official website.
• Fruit Growers Express Company #35832 — photos and short history of an example of the wooden ice-type "reefers" commonly placed in service between 1920 and 1940.
• Fruit Growers Express Company #56415 — photos and short history of an example of the wooden ice-type "reefers" used in the first half of the 20th century for shipping produce.
• Pacific Fruit Express Company #11207 — photo and short history of one of the last ice-type refrigerator cars built.
• Pacific Fruit Express Company #300010 — photo and short history of one of the first mechanical-type refrigerator cars built.
• Pacific Fruit Express photo gallery at the Union Pacific Railroad official website.
• Container Service Co.official website, pictures of cryogenic (reefer) railcars and ocean freight containers.

The Union Pacific Railroad NYSE: UNP is the largest railroad in the United States. ...

A Pullman-built shorty reefer bearing the logo, circa 1885. ... Burlington Refrigerator Express #74637, an all-steel, ice-cooled refrigerator car. ... C&O #402021, an insulated boxcar, bears the colors and markings of the Fruit Growers Express Solid Gold line. ... General American Transportation Corporation or GATX (the company changed their name to their most common reporting mark) is a railway equipment leasing company. ... Hormel Foods Corporation NYSE: HRL is probably best known as the producer of SPAM luncheon meat. ... Merchants Despatch Transportation Co. ... A string of refrigerator cars owned by Pacific Fruit Express is supplied with fresh ice in the Spring of 1964. ... The Railway Express Agency was a rail express service, at one point the only one in the United States. ... An ice-cooled reefer of the Santa Fe Refrigerator Despatch Bulk Fruit Express circa 1894. ... Anheuser-Busch NYSE: BUD, the worlds third largest brewing company in volume after InBev and SABMiller, is based in St. ... A builders photo of one of the first refrigerator cars to come out of the Detroit plant of the American Car and Foundry Company (ACF), built in 1899 for the Swift Refrigerator Line. ... Seaboard System # 5501, a GE B30-7 diesel-electric locomotive, did the honors for the 1,000th trip to Kearny, New Jersey of Tropicanas Juice Train photo courtesy of Juice Train Enthusiasts Yahoo Group Juice Train is the popular name for famous unit trains of Tropicana fresh orange juice... Western Fruit Express all-steel ventilator · refrigerator car #67899, bearing the logo of the Great Northern Railway, awaits its next assignment in July, 1951. ... An American Car and Foundry builders photo of the first WRL reefer, #5001. ...