Fruit Growers Express

[Bluford Craig]

PFE stopped offering ice service in their cars in 1972. As of September 1973, railroads were no longer required to re-ice reefers in transit on their lines. However, thousands of bunker equipped cars continued to run in ventilator service (with the hatches propped open) for several more years. The last railroad to offer ice reefer service was B&O and that ended in 1978.

Craig
http://www.bluford-shops.com/bluford_1025_024.htm

[eric220]

UPDATE:  Confirmed the IMRC wood reefer is an FGE prototype.

So there are two N scale models specifically based on FGE prototypes:

• MTL 69000-series riveted mechanical reefer
• IMRC 67700-series wood reefer

Just out of curiosity, when were those prototypes built?

[jmlaboda]

"So there are two N scale models specifically based on FGE prototypes:"

The Atlas N Fruit Growers Express Box Cars is also a good car, representing RB and RBL insulated boxcars very common starting in  the late-60s and into the 80s.  Many carried the owning road's paint instead of FGE while others carried FGE paint and owning road reporting marks...
http://www.atlasrr.com/NFreight/nfgeboxcar2.htm

[bbussey]

The IMRC car is based on the wood prototype after rebuilding in the late `40s to early `50s.
The MTL car is based on the mechanical prototype as-built in 1956.

[eric220]

I've been doing a little research on FGE and reefer traffic in general, but there seems to be some basic assumed knowledge that I must confess I dont have. I understand that meat and dairy reefers had special racks or other equipment inside, but what about the normal FGE reefers? Were they only used to haul produce, or were they general service like boxcars? For instance, on the PRR would you have seen FGE reefers outside a brewery or other customer that needed reefer service?

[Brakie]

Not to hijack a thread, but since there seems to be very real knowledge here regarding reefers...  In 1956, what would you have seen on Pennsy mainline in blocks?  It's always hard to read the sides in the photos because back then everyone was shooting the power.  My guess would be iced PFE and primarily steel side...  can anyone smart confirm?

Dave,I  recall a solid PFE reefer train that rolled East  through Columbus between 6:45-7:15pm on the PRR as a side note some times there would be Santa Fe reefers on the end of the train consist.All reefers was steel ice bunkers.

This Train came through Logansport and Bradford.

This reason I recall this train was because it ran shortly after C&Os Sportsman and PRR's St.Louis bound passenger train cleared Union Station.There was a flurry of activity between 6:00-8:00pm..I use to watch this action every summer night-my curfew was 8:30pm and I didn't always make the set time.

[sirenwerks]

I believe the trick for pasturized beer is not to keep it cold, but to regulate the fluctuation of its temperature. Insulated boxcars (and tank cars, if Coors is an example) do the trick. But I'm grasping at straws, and I'm sure Dave can edumicate me on what they did in Milwaukee with all those reefers.

As for meat, there's different needs for meat products (like sausage and canned meats) and whole meats, like beef and hog sides. Same for produce, potatoes and oranges have mucho different needs.