Ice Reefer Question....

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

When did “ice” reefers go out of major service? Being, when did they stop being the normal thing to see I guess.

Any info would be great! Thanks.[:D]

2

The answer depends on the geographical area you’re interested in, but in general ice reefers were being phased out during the mid - to - late 1970s. If you can be a little more specific in your question, I can give you a much more detailed answer.

Cheers,

Mark.

3

This is one of the best sites I’ve seen for proto info on railroad cars…

http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/

For instance, The American Refrigerator Transit (ART) section here…

http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/rolling-stock/Paint/96-1-American-R.php

edit: Make that Use to be… Still good if you want to sign up and pay the $5 per month but last time I spent any real time there, it wasn’t like that… Been awhile I guess…

4

John,

Mechanical reefers started showing up in the late 50’s. Some ice reefers lasted into the 70’s. Once mechanical reefers started being put into service in large numbers, the days if the ice cars came quickly. It was too costly to maintain two completly different systems. The large ice house/docks at mid-point terminals were replace by truck delivered icing as the numbers of ice activated reefers dropped. Mechanical reefers sort of ‘peaked’ in the late 70’s as trucks cut into the traffic. There has been renewal of rail reefer service in the past 5 years, and even new cars built - Note the BNSF or UP ones with the exposed skid mounted refridgeration units mounted on the ends.

Jim Bernier

5

Thanks everyone for the info. That is what I was I hopeing for. I model two era’s and one of them is 55’/56 lossely. I have quite a few ice powered refers I wondered if they would be good. A few of them have old build dates in the lat 20’s early 30’s. it got me thinking when they stopped useing those citters.

I am loosely based in Arizona with a freelanced railroad. All though, the location is one aspect of my freelace that I still have to “figure out”.[;)]

6

JIm,

I have noticed those as well. About 6 months ago the kiddo and I were at the UP yard checkin things out. We saw a 5 car bolck of them all with the generators purringaway keeping them cool. Also, one weekend we went “train camping” along the Sunest Route for UP and saw quite a few. One train had all duoblestack conatiners and quite flats or spines with tractor trailers. I was amazed how many containers and almost all of the trailers had gene’s on them indicating refers of some sort… At night it was easy to spot them a thy had the green status light on the side of the unit.

7

I iced “reefers” as a summer job on the ice gang in the late 1950’s only these “reefers” were C.P.R. passenger cars with ice bunkers underneath that held a pile of ice and were the high-end air-conditioners of their day , although a little over extended in time. I lost track as to when these coaches were taken out of service.