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Hello Targubright, Because they were insulated, and if they had the proper equipment installed, refrigerator cars could double as heated cars as well, which made them more versatile in the winter or for special shipments. For example, the Northern Pacific's NPM series of 50- and 57-foot mechanical reefers were equipped with an electrical heating system powered by the same generator that supplied electricity to the refrigeration system. Other older reefer models, such as the R-40-25s, which were equipped with ice bunkers, used alcohol or charcoal heaters. What did they carry in these heated refrigerator cars? According to NP's Circular No. 9-A, effective July 1, 1953 (titled "Instructions covering the Handling of Perishable Freight"), the products ranged from apples to beer, blood plasma, liquid rubber cement, onions, pears, potatoes, tomatoes, and water-based paint, just to name some. Each product had its own temperature range governing when heaters were to be lighted and extinguished. For example, 9-A required one heater to be lighted in a car carry apples as soon as the outside temperature ranged between 10 degrees above 0 to 5 degrees below 0. A second heater was to be lighted as soon as the outside temperature dropped under minus-10 degrees. What this means for modelers who prefer to model the winter months is that they can still run refrigerator cars. Rather than icing up, they can set reefers off to have crews light heaters or inspect that the electrical heating systems are functioning properly. Hope this helps, Paul Schmidt Contributing Editor Trains.com
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