Hi All.
Every week I see the Tropicana Express aka (Juice Train) pass through Roselle Park NJ via CSX on it’s way up from FL and I always wondered how the juice was transported inside the refer cars. I would imagine it has all ready been processed in FL. My question is, is the OJ in the resale carton, in boxes on pallets or is it transported in BULK contianers or drums? Thanks
Rob
NJ
The one way it wouldn’t be is drums. If they were shipping in bulk like that they would probably have tank cars because drums ain;'t cheapand would add a tremendous amount of labor to unload. I would tend to think the cars contain every form of product going to market from gallon jugs through frozen concentrate all in individual cars of course since the temperature requirements would vary also.
According to the article in Railroad Model Craftsman May 1995 issue, these don’t contain a frozen concentrate, but a “supercooled, blended juice.” Most are insulated box cars that maintain the temperature without refrigeration over the trip of 45 hours. Although it doesn’t specifically say so, it implies that the juice is packaged and ready for retail sale due to the car’s classification as RBL or RPL (insulated box or mechanical refrigerator with load restraints). The unit train was initiated on June 9, 1970.
Retail cartons, in cardboard cases, on pallets. The only handling is offloading the pallets for distribution to grocery wholesalers, then to your supermarket.
The orange juice is kept inside the car in very large steel containers. Some of the
older Tropicana Juice train cars were built by the fruit growers express in alexandria,va.
The trains that i see come through every week are made up of mixed cars. Some old (orange ones) and more of the newer ones (white) with a picture of a straw inserted into an orange. Both the older and newer cars have refridgerated units. The units on the older cars are attached beneath the chassis and the units on the newer cars are on the ends just like a tractor trailer refer. They are also marked with “Satellite controlled” which is pretty cool.
Thanks everyone for your input.
Rob