Milk cars -- how were they handled?

[Anonymous]

Just got two of Intermountain's new milk cars, and I'm curious how they were handled in the 50's. Were they treated like any other refer, and put on a fast freight train, or were they handled like express refers and box cars and put on the head-end of passenger trains?

[ndbprr]

Passenger or milk trains. Empties going back - don't know but asume they had to be back for the next day's pick up's. Usually a local hence the term "milk run" getting milk can(s) at the local freight houses along the way. Some travelled great distances. Some Philadelphia milk came from as far away as northern central PA as much as 200 miles away. Definitely a priority car.

[Anonymous]

That's what I thought, but I wanted to be sure. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Basically there were two types of milk cars. Bulk cars with large insulated tanks inside and can cars which handled the 40qt metal cans you see modeled so often on station platforms.

The bulk milk cars were usually assigned to a particular dairy and would be used from the milk source to the processing plant. Normal operation would have them picked up in the morning and delivered to the plant. They would be emptied, cleaned, cooled and returned for the next days load. If the run was a long one the dairy might have two or more sets of cars running back and forth to expedite the milk.

The can cars were often very similar to freight reefers and most had no ice bunkers. The cans would be placed on pallets and then chipped ice might be thrown on top of them to help stabilize the temperature. These type cars would be the ones you see picking up cans at various stations and remote platforms along the mainline. Many looked like express reefers or head end cars (baggage) but many were almost identical to wood or metal reefers.

It seems most milk cars were handled in separate milk trains or attached to passenger trains. The "milk run" wasn't a leisurely train meandering through the back woods. Milk was governed by strict regulations as to temperature and quality and so the railroads did there best to move it as quickly as possible. This was not only due to the regulations but often there were only enough cars to go around and they had to be returned and ready to go tomorrow. The bulk cars were rather expensive as far as reefers go so their usage would usually be maximized.

The InterMountain cars are Pfaudler cars. They were about the most modern types used. Each one had a glass-lined, stainless steel 3,000gal tank mounted in each end of the car. The Pfaudler types came in two lengths. I'm not sure which one is modeled by InterMountain.

Enjoy the milk trains!
Roger

[ndbprr]

RMC did a multi-monthly series on milk cars and handling probably around the 1982 or so. Should answer all your questions and more