1950's B&M Milk Trains?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

As I go through the planning of my new N scale B&M branch line layout, one item I’d like to add operations for is a milk train. My layout is to be set in the fall of 1952 during which time I believe milk was still a regular commodity.

I haven’t had much luck finding online resources detailing B&M milk ops, does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

Jason

2

Next time you’re at Maine Trains, ask Gerry. He’s got an amazing amount of knowledge about New England railroads.

3

Several B&M Milk cars still exist. One at East Fitchburg Yard, and another at Waltham Mass. Milk was often transferred into Fast Paced unit trains which ran to creameries, such as Bellows Falls. Local Milk traffic, would be picked up by the local train, and set out in a large yard where other jobs containing milk cars, would put together one of these express dairy runs…

4

Vermont Scenic Railway had, probably still has, a B&M steel milk car in Bellows Falls or White River Junction. The B&M historical society magazine ran a three part article on milk operations some years ago. You ought to be able to get reprints. There is a Yahoo B&M group which has some knowledgeable old timers on it. The “Northern New England Color Guide” by Sweetland and Horsley has excellent color photographs. The wooden Pfaudler milk tank cars relied strictly upon insulation to keep the cargo cool. They were loaded with chilled milk at the creamery and the car insulation kept it cold enough on the trip. The HO models from Athearn and MDC have ice hatches, but that is not prototypical. Compared to shipping milk in cans, the tankers cut down on cleaning labor and eliminated can returns. The health authorities demanded a clenning with live steam after every trip. It was easier to clean a single 1000 gallon tank than hundreds of cans. B&M milk operations lasted until the early 70’s, where as rail shipped milk was gone by 1960 in New York and Philadelphia.

5

Thanks everyone for the tips. I need to see if I can find the appropriate cars in N scale for my early 50’s plan.

Jason

6

There is a book titled, Boston & Maine Trains & Services by Bruce D Heald, Arcadia Publishing. It has quite a lot of info on B & M milk trains. I picked up the book at Barnes & Noble in western Mass.

http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/news_article.html?id=247

http://users.rcn.com/jimdu4/MilkTrains/FromCowToConsumer.htm

http://users.rcn.com/jimdu4/MilkTrains/ChesireBranchMilk.htm

http://users.rcn.com/jimdu4/MilkTrains/MilkReferences.htm

http://www.besttrains.com/products_2015.html Models

http://www.nscalecollector.com/NSC_Boston_Maine.asp N scale

You can also search the 'Net, Google, for Boston & Maine Milk Trains.

Rich

7

Milk wasn’t limited for carry in dedicated milk cars. Railroads frequently carried milk in large milk cans in the baggage/express cars of local and secondary passenger trains, back in the days (typically up to the 1960s) when railroads had lcl/express business.

Mark

8

Dwight Smith, Kearsage Road, North Conway, NH, founder of the Conway Scenic RR, has quite a bit of info on Milk Trains on the B&M et al here in New England. If you send him $2 in a self addressed stamped envelope, he will mail you copies of some real good info. Use a larger manila envelope because the documents are too big for normal letter size envelopes.

Also, at the Big E each year, there is a table set up near Tuckers Hobbies, just across the isle, that is dedicated to milk trains in New England, all the literature you could ever want.

B&M has several books out on Mike Trains and operations also.