Eastern Railroad Discussion > Q: How are Refrigerator Cars refueled?

I'm guessing that today's refrigerator cars employ GPS tracking to monitor diesel fuel levels as the cars transit across the US, no? Do refrigerator cars get refueled enroute while in the consist of a manfiest freight? Or does a reefer needing fuel get set-out somewhere so that a truck can do the job? Or can most reefers make a complete trip before needing fuel? Thanks.

I have an old "Extreme Trains" (remember that TV show?) dvd, that shows the cars being fueled, and the unit being checked, at their point of loading/origin, which was Washington. I believe it was mentioned that they were good to go to their destination on the east coast.  As I say, this was an older show, so things may be different now with better technology.

Brings to mind a lesson.

Back about 1976 or so the Erie Lackawanna yard at Salamanca, NY (now gone and operated by WNYP) had a strange visitor.   An orange Santa Fe "MTC" mechanical refrigerator, all by itself, shoved down by the semi-abandoned locomotive facility.   It was there for a while - like March 76 to July 76.  I model ATSF so I got a picture of it, fairly unusual car to show up there.  I think it stayed there right through Conrail startup day.

Found out years later it was a setout due to something defective in the car from an eastbound priority freight.... only nobody told anybody.

And the story with it.   Flat wheeled, sticking brake.  Set out.   And reportedly full of frozen shrimp.    Only nobody did anything, and it sat there until the stench became unbearable.  Never inspected, refueled, anything.   When they did try to empty it, it took the local fire department in hazmat suits, and it was still so bad the car was cut up on the spot for scrap.  EL had pretty well laid off everybody including anybody that had a clue about that car.

When I was out in Corwith, IL at the ATSF yard there in summer 1980, it was interesting that they had a separate fueling and maintenance pad just for the mechanical refrigerators there at the yard.   At least when on home rails, they got attention.

 

Back during the pre-CSX days on the RF&P, the northbound Tropicana Juice train derailed near Possum Point (north of Quantico, VA).  During the clean-up operation a local fuel company was brought in to keep the reefers filled with diesel.

randgust Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Brings to mind a lesson.
>
> Back about 1976 or so the Erie Lackawanna yard at
> Salamanca, NY (now gone and operated by WNYP) had
> a strange visitor.   An orange Santa Fe "MTC"
> mechanical refrigerator, all by itself, shoved
> down by the semi-abandoned locomotive facility. 
>  It was there for a while - like March 76 to July
> 76.  I model ATSF so I got a picture of it,
> fairly unusual car to show up there.  I think it
> stayed there right through Conrail startup day.
>
> Found out years later it was a setout due to
> something defective in the car from an eastbound
> priority freight.... only nobody told anybody.
>
> And the story with it.   Flat wheeled, sticking
> brake.  Set out.   And reportedly full of
> frozen shrimp.    Only nobody did anything, and
> it sat there until the stench became unbearable. 
> Never inspected, refueled, anything.   When they
> did try to empty it, it took the local fire
> department in hazmat suits, and it was still so
> bad the car was cut up on the spot for scrap.  EL
> had pretty well laid off everybody including
> anybody that had a clue about that car.
>
> When I was out in Corwith, IL at the ATSF yard
> there in summer 1980, it was interesting that they
> had a separate fueling and maintenance pad just
> for the mechanical refrigerators there at the
> yard.   At least when on home rails, they got
> attention.
>
>  
I have been told (can't verify it), that back in the old days when things were different, cars like this were often buried still fully loaded somewhere on the yard property.

Usually the cars are fueled prior to departing. Most if not all reefers these days have a GPS link that will relay location, temperature, fuel status, door status, and if the reefer unit is running. They will trigger an alert if there is a low fuel situation and then the car meets a truck for a top off.

Posted from Android

junctiontower Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> randgust Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Brings to mind a lesson.
> >
> > Back about 1976 or so the Erie Lackawanna yard
> at
> > Salamanca, NY (now gone and operated by WNYP)
> had
> > a strange visitor.   An orange Santa Fe "MTC"
> > mechanical refrigerator, all by itself, shoved
> > down by the semi-abandoned locomotive
> facility. 
> >  It was there for a while - like March 76 to
> July
> > 76.  I model ATSF so I got a picture of it,
> > fairly unusual car to show up there.  I think
> it
> > stayed there right through Conrail startup day.
> >
> > Found out years later it was a setout due to
> > something defective in the car from an
> eastbound
> > priority freight.... only nobody told anybody.
> >
> > And the story with it.   Flat wheeled,
> sticking
> > brake.  Set out.   And reportedly full of
> > frozen shrimp.    Only nobody did anything,
> and
> > it sat there until the stench became
> unbearable. 
> > Never inspected, refueled, anything.   When
> they
> > did try to empty it, it took the local fire
> > department in hazmat suits, and it was still so
> > bad the car was cut up on the spot for scrap. 
> EL
> > had pretty well laid off everybody including
> > anybody that had a clue about that car.
> >
> > When I was out in Corwith, IL at the ATSF yard
> > there in summer 1980, it was interesting that
> they
> > had a separate fueling and maintenance pad just
> > for the mechanical refrigerators there at the
> > yard.   At least when on home rails, they got
> > attention.
> >
> >  
> I have been told (can't verify it), that back in
> the old days when things were different, cars like
> this were often buried still fully loaded
> somewhere on the yard property.

the lading might get buried, if it is rotting, then it does no harm to bury it.....it will become dirt anyway....and I have seen it done. Spilled soybeans after a grain train wreck......bury the beans...but they weren't deep enough and for a few years the site stunk badly. Of the wreckage gets salvaged because it can be made into new Toyotas!

randgust Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Brings to mind a lesson.
>
> Back about 1976 or so the Erie Lackawanna yard at
> Salamanca, NY (now gone and operated by WNYP) had
> a strange visitor.   An orange Santa Fe "MTC"
> mechanical refrigerator, all by itself, shoved
> down by the semi-abandoned locomotive facility. 
>  It was there for a while - like March 76 to July
> 76.  I model ATSF so I got a picture of it,
> fairly unusual car to show up there.  I think it
> stayed there right through Conrail startup day.
>
> Found out years later it was a setout due to
> something defective in the car from an eastbound
> priority freight.... only nobody told anybody.
>
> And the story with it.   Flat wheeled, sticking
> brake.  Set out.   And reportedly full of
> frozen shrimp.    Only nobody did anything, and
> it sat there until the stench became unbearable. 
> Never inspected, refueled, anything.   When they
> did try to empty it, it took the local fire
> department in hazmat suits, and it was still so
> bad the car was cut up on the spot for scrap.  EL
> had pretty well laid off everybody including
> anybody that had a clue about that car.
>
> When I was out in Corwith, IL at the ATSF yard
> there in summer 1980, it was interesting that they
> had a separate fueling and maintenance pad just
> for the mechanical refrigerators there at the
> yard.   At least when on home rails, they got
> attention.
>
>  

A similar situation happened in Indianapolis in the 1960s, on the New York Central Railroad, shortly before the PC merger.

A mechanical reefer was set out in downtown Indy due to a mechanical problem, and no one would take responsibilty for the
repairs. This was a divison point on the NYC, so each Superintendent argued with the other as to who would send the labor
to fix the issue, in the mean time the diesel engine ran out of fuel, and the load spoiled. I don't know the post-mortem on this
incident but I'm sure it was unpleasant...

The person who told me about this incident was a former NYC/PC Assistant Trainmaster who worked in the Indianapolis
Terminal at the time...

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> junctiontower Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > randgust Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Brings to mind a lesson.
> > >
> > > Back about 1976 or so the Erie Lackawanna
> yard
> > at
> > > Salamanca, NY (now gone and operated by WNYP)
> > had
> > > a strange visitor.   An orange Santa Fe
> "MTC"
> > > mechanical refrigerator, all by itself,
> shoved
> > > down by the semi-abandoned locomotive
> > facility. 
> > >  It was there for a while - like March 76 to
> > July
> > > 76.  I model ATSF so I got a picture of it,
> > > fairly unusual car to show up there.  I
> think
> > it
> > > stayed there right through Conrail startup
> day.
> > >
> > > Found out years later it was a setout due to
> > > something defective in the car from an
> > eastbound
> > > priority freight.... only nobody told
> anybody.
> > >
> > > And the story with it.   Flat wheeled,
> > sticking
> > > brake.  Set out.   And reportedly full of
> > > frozen shrimp.    Only nobody did anything,
> > and
> > > it sat there until the stench became
> > unbearable. 
> > > Never inspected, refueled, anything.   When
> > they
> > > did try to empty it, it took the local fire
> > > department in hazmat suits, and it was still
> so
> > > bad the car was cut up on the spot for
> scrap. 
> > EL
> > > had pretty well laid off everybody including
> > > anybody that had a clue about that car.
> > >
> > > When I was out in Corwith, IL at the ATSF
> yard
> > > there in summer 1980, it was interesting that
> > they
> > > had a separate fueling and maintenance pad
> just
> > > for the mechanical refrigerators there at the
> > > yard.   At least when on home rails, they
> got
> > > attention.
> > >
> > >  
Of the wreckage gets
> salvaged because it can be made into new Toyotas!

Possibly, but keep in mind that back in the day scrap metal wasn’t too valuable, and just WHO do you get to unload a cargo like thousands of pounds of rotten meat?

Posted from iPhone

A long ago co-worker had a tale where the MILW misplaced a wooden meat reefer somewhere in Chicago for a "long" period of time (years he said). Once found they burned it on the spot.
Clarence