Nostalgia & History > Reefer Operations on Branch Lines

Any good books on this subject? My query is, how common were reefer operations on branch lines, Eastern mostly, in the 1940s and later days of steam? I know reefer yards and meat and produce factories were concentrated in the cities, but was it common for a local or time freight to pick up a car or block at smaller locations, assuming the shipper iced it? If so, what cargoes might have been most common?

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When I started on the UP in engine service in 1977 we used to take ( or pick up) a reefer or insulated boxcar over to Meiers on the North Platte cutoff to spot for potato loading.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

NP did seasonal cherries from Polson, MT. Brought them to Missoula to be added to fast freights to final destinations.

Some branchlines in Central Washington did fruits and potatoes.
Dave in Msla.

Many years of Iced Reefers on the Santa Fe San Jacinto Branch to handle the potato harvest. A couple of extra freights, plus the scheduled mixed train handed these, maybe a couple hundred a night during the season.

Sure someone can advise of the Santa Fe San Joaquin Valley branch lines, handling Citrus and potatos.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/17 14:23 by mundo.

NYC6001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Any good books on this subject? My query is, how
> common were reefer operations on branch lines,
> Eastern mostly, in the 1940s and later days of
> steam? I know reefer yards and meat and produce
> factories were concentrated in the cities, but
> was it common for a local or time freight to pick
> up a car or block at smaller locations, assuming
> the shipper iced it? If so, what cargoes might
> have been most common?
>

Post 1965: Out West, everyday normal. In the East, much more rare. Simply because, for the most part, perishables originated in the west on branch lines are terminated in eastern big city produce markets. There never was much perishable volume originated in the east, and post 1965, the trucks got the lion's share of Midwestern meat and cheese.

Best regards,

Rob L.

Iced reefers were a common day move on the Coast until mechanical ones finally took over. They had a big ice deck at Wat.Jct, a small one in Salinas, one in Guadalupe, Santa Barbara & Oxnard. The cars were DLO/TIV. Some places blew ice on their product to keep it cool until the car would be iced at a deck.


Nudge



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/17 14:55 by spnudge.

spnudge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Iced reefers were a common day move on the Coast
> until mechanical ones finally took over. They had
> a big ice deck at Wat.Jct, a small one in Salinas,
> one in Guadalupe, Santa Barbara & Oxnard. The cars
> were DLO/TIV. Some places blew ice on their
> product to keep it cool until the car would be
> iced at a deck.
>
>

And even mechanical loads would be blown a layer of top ice on a typical hot California summer day.

Best regards,

Rob L.

Santa Fe had a group in the Fresno Office dealing strictly with customers shipping reefer loads and would coordinate car orders, waybills, mechanical requirements, car distribution, Chief Dispatchers Office, and various agency offices to manage movements off the Valley Division. They were a pretty good bunch of railroaders competing against trucks the best they could and of course the SP. During specific fruit or vegetable harvests various jobs were advertised, extras run, and managers stationed in busier areas. The shippers always appreciated good service and a case of fruit or a bag of veggies was provided to crews and managers. Lugging home a 50lb bag of potatoes always made the neighbors happy since a family of 4 can't consume that much.

The original Norfolk Southern had the Weekville branch running from Elizabeth City, NC down to,the Coast Guard Station and I know they loaded potatoes into reefers back in at least the early 50's. Photos from the 30's had them in Elizabeth City loading the spuds so I would assume they were on the branch as well.
John