1950's method for transporting sugar, molasses, flour to an industrial bakery and/or candy operation

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Hey all: I’m trying to figure out how an industrial sized bakery operation would have received ingredients by rail - flour, sugar, molasses and oil. Would the sugar and flour come by boxcars filled with sacks of flour/sugar or via covered hoppers? Molasses and cooking oil would have come in tank cars, I suspect. I’m modeling east coast US in 1954. Thanks. Joel

2

One of these:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/gatx/gacx42360jpa.jpg

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/gatx/gacx42499akg.jpg

and, perhaps a bit obvious:

https://www.walthers.com/50-2-bay-airslide-r-covered-hopper-ready-to-run-brach-s-candy-gacx-47476

Tangent made a Brach’s Airslide, too.

Depending on how big of an operation you want to portray. The Brach’s factory on Kinzie St. in Chicago, was huge. I’m sure there were smaller operations that would have dry ingredients shipped in sacks by box car.

Good Luck, Ed

3

Thanks, Ed, for your quick reply and info. It’s appreciated! Unfortunately, the Diamond Sugar Hopper photo is dated 1964 and the Pillsbury is undated. I’m not sure I can rely on photos past the mid fifties, unless I can see the car’s “built dates” . The Brachs Candy (forgot about those) airslide hopper shows a built date of 1974 in the picture - so too recent. Anyone else?

4

I was going by some replies in this thread saying “late 1950s” for the airslide hopper.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/t/227331.aspx

Sorry,

Ed

5

No worries, Ed. I appreciate the effort. There is some info in that thread that might be useful. Maybe one of those hopper experts will chime in! Joel

6

The initial airslides - the 2600 cubic foot ones with the single hopper at the bottom of the car – were first produced in limited quantity in 1953. Production began in earnest in 1954. The Con Cor HO model is basically of this car although there were little design changes just about every year to 1959 and perhaps beyond. Whether the Con-Cor is actually available is a bit unclear given the Chinese factory situations.

Athearn had a nice model of a 2600 c.f. airslide too but I think it is discontinued.

the two bay airslides that Tangent, Walthers, and perhaps others came out with are later era - 1960s.

Dave Nelson

7

Prior to that time, most of that stuff would have been carried bagged, in box cars.

–Randy

8

Boxcars, boxcars and more boxcars, except maybe molasses which could be shipped in tank cars if the bakery can take 6000-8000 gals of it at once.

9

Thanks, Gents. That’s what I thought. Boxcars galore for sugar and flour, and a tank car once a month for molasses, another one for cooking oil maybe (on site storage maybe), reefers with milk and butter. Joel

10

You’re making me hungry! [dinner] Ed

11

Can’t help you with the 50’s, but I worked in the shipping/receiving department of a large candy factory in the Midwest in the early 70’s.

Bulk brown sugar was delivered in 40 ft boxcars with paper/strap bulkheads in the doors. It was exactly the same way grain was shipped before covered hoppers appeared.

Molasses (we actually got corn syrup) was delivered in tank cars. I seem to recall they had to be steam-heated to be emptied, but I never worked with those loads so that’s just a faint recollection.

Oil was delivered via tank truck, and cocoa powder in 50-pound sacks was trucked in from an east coast port (New Jersey, I think).

I hope this helps.

12

The publication “A History of the General American Airslide and Other Covered Hopper Cars” by Eric A Neubauer, as Freight Cars Journal, Monograph No. 9 provides the following information on Airslide covered hopper production until January 1955:

Railroad marked cars, all built 1954

Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy (CB&Q) 87000-87199

Milwaukee Road (MILW) 99901-99965

GACX leased cars, GACX reporting marks with lessee if any.

42000-42004 Penick & Ford. First 5 cars built, July 1953

All of the following built prior to January 1955 and leased to:

42005-42021 Minneapolis & St. Louis RR

42022-42046 Rock Island RR

42047-42114 GACX lease fleet

42050-42058 Wabash

42060-42114 International Milling

13

We serve a sweetner place - and even today they get molasses that’s shipped in barrels in a boxcar. They also get molasses tank cars, too. I’m guessing different grades. The stuff in the boxcars smells good, the tank cars? They are overpowering.

14

Wow! I got just what I needed and a lot more than expected. Thanks, gents! Joel

15

Even today bagged sugar,flour and other bagged goods is shipped in boxcars.