XIH Commodities

[bbussey]

Since the question popped up of what commodities are and aren't valid for XIH transport, here is the list of what was carried in the Canadian Pacific eight-hatch reefers from the GHQ forum.  While the Magor/PC&F boxcars generally weren't used for any of these, since most require refrigeration, it's plausible that it happened on occasion.  The non-produce on this commodity list should be appropriate for all heated/ventilated boxcars in the winter.



So in theory, beer could be transported in an XIH boxcar in the winter months although I wouldn't recommend it.  Canned goods could be transported year-round.

[Iain]

I spy a shrubbery!  I require it!

[Kisatchie]

I spy a shrubbery!  I require it!

Beat me to it! Who ships shrubbery?

EDIT - I mentioned this to my wife, and she said maybe it includes Christmas trees. Also, she said plant nurseries could ship plants. Who knew my wife knew so much about railroad commodities?


Hmm... bananas made
the list, but no sign of
termites...

[Scott Lupia]

The Knights of Nee?

scott lupia

[lock4244]

(Live) bees. Ball bearings. Frog legs. Holly. Shrubbery. Trees (with roots). Turtles. Interesting loads.

Frozen dinners - protect against cold? Sure there is a reason, just seems pretty counter-intuitive.

[nkalanaga]

Thank you!  Although it does raise as many questions as it answers...

Turtles?  If they mean live ones, how big is/was the market?  Live bees I can see, as they're big business.  Most go by truck now.

Dee:  I'd say termites would be treated the same as bees.  There's probably a classification somewhere for "Insects, not otherwise indexed by name"

Oh yes, nurseries ship live trees and shrubs constantly, and they do require protection.  Even cold-hardy plants can be damaged if the roots freeze, and almost any plant will be harmed by excessive heat.

Christmas trees would more likely be shipped on a flatcar or gon, as they don't need much protection.  After all, they sit outside at the sales lot.

Ball bearings have to protected from both heat and cold?  Just how cold does it get in Canada if it can damage a ball bearing?

Live crabs don't need ventilation, but frozen ones do?  But lobsters are just the opposite, with the live ones needed ventilation.  Don't crabs breathe?

Paraffin doesn't need to protected from freezing, but candles, which are usually made from similar wax, do?

But I'm with Lock4244.  Why would anything frozen need to be kept warm?  Once it's frozen it shouldn't matter how cold it gets.  I noticed  that frozen eggs don't have to be kept warm, but almost everything else frozen does.  Weird.  On the other hand, where do they sell frozen eggs?

And potatoes don't even make the list...  Neither does lutefisk, but that's probably intentional!

[basementcalling]

Will getting too cold cause freezer burn, especially at temps way below 0F? Christmas trees need protection from wind damage to branches, so they are another internal loading.

Termites? See lumber loads for their preferred loadings.

Shrubbery? Would the shipper be Arthur, as the Knights of Nee would be the receiver? Nothing about swallows, African or European.

[peteski]

Nothing about swallows, African or European.

Those would be pigeonholed under poultry. 

[nkalanaga]

Peter:  No, getting too cold shouldn't cause freezer burn.  Usually that's a result of surface thawing, due to either defrost cycles or too-warm temperatures, even if the product stays below "freezing".  Once it's solidly frozen, colder temperatures will usually do no harm, unless it gets so cold that the item becomes brittle, and is then struck or dropped.  Think liquid nitrogen temperatures.

As for the Christmas trees, I can see your reasoning.  Most of the Christmas tree train pictures I've seen are shortlines or narrow gauge, meaning slow speeds.  For a mainline haul they probably do need wind protection.

Another oddity:  They specify live bees.  Can anyone think of any reason for shipping a carload of dead ones?

[Big4Man]

I thought these were "Tater" cars!! 

[Kisatchie]

Another oddity:  They specify live bees.  Can anyone think of any reason for shipping a carload of dead ones?

Hmm... they specify live
bees to make sure they
don't have to ship dead
ones...

[nkalanaga]

Dee:  OK, I can accept that.  There really isn't much of a market for dead bees...