We watched the classic movie East of Eden last evening. The film seemed to show that shipping produce from CA to the East Coast in boxcars with ice blocks was a revolutionary idea in 1917. How early did the railroads start using insulated iced refrigerator cars? I thought the practice would have pre-dated 1917. Or was this just Hollywood not getting the facts right?
They were icing shipments as far back as the 1860s.
A table in a book The Great Yellow Fleet suggests that by 1917 there were well over 100,000 refrigerator cars in service (with the caveat that the total might include ventilator cars and insulated box cars).
For the record, the Pacific Fruit Express Company was founded in 1906.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
"The Grapes on Tracks" allow for literary license.
CShaveRR They were icing shipments as far back as the 1860s. A table in a book The Great Yellow Fleet suggests that by 1917 there were well over 100,000 refrigerator cars in service (with the caveat that the total might include ventilator cars and insulated box cars). For the record, the Pacific Fruit Express Company was founded in 1906.
In line with what Carl has stated. Found this photo at this linked website:
http://www.shorpy.com/node/9690
Notice the FGE cars the date on this photo is 1903. I'm guessing that the pier is in New Orleans. If you go to the website you can pull the Full View shot and reall get a good view of the cars and their lettering.
As a politically incorect observation. I was only able to spot one negro face (in right center at bottom of unloading scaffold). The stevedore crew seems to reflect the times, lots of interesting faces, and seemingly plenty of men just observing the unloading of the banana stalks.
and in this photo linked below, of the same 1903 banana unloading operation operation, as well. ( on original link, view photo full size for enhanced details. http://www.shorpy.com/node/10026
The details of these early reefers is apparent in the full views provided at the Shorpy website.
samfp1943.As a politically incorrect observation. I was only able to spot one negro face (in right center at bottom of unloading scaffold). The stevedore crew seems to reflect the times, lots of interesting faces, and seemingly plenty of men just observing the unloading of the banana stalks.
A number of curious expressions looking at the photographer as well.
Wikipedia gives the date of the first reefer as 1842. This squares with what I've heard about the advent of refrigeration having an effect on the East India spice trade, as spices were no longer necessary to cover the taste of such items as rancid butter...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Larry:
I looked again at the full View of the reefer car on the top at the end of the car is a signe, it says "Moble Ohio RR The Mobile and Ohio ran from the Port of Mobile to a point on the Ohio River near Cairo, Il.
I'm guessing now, but it is possible that the pictures of the reefer cars are mislabeled; 'New Orleans' may actually be taken in Mobile, Al. Mobile has, historically, been a Port that handled the Banana Traffic from Central and South America. The M&O RR did not merge with the Gulf,Mobile & Northern til 1901. Prior to that it was a property of the Southern Rwy. [See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_and_Ohio_Railroad ]
The unloading and handling of the stalks of bananas was considered to be somewhat dangerous for the stevedores as the stalks could house 'hitch-hikers', in the form of tarantula spiders, and poisonous snakes.
Also the number of negros in New Orleans would have predominated on the NOLA piers, while quite possibly, the Mobile area would have had a greater European origin population as well a negro population,as well. (There lots of French were in south Alabama) in the early 20th Century. Notice in the accompanying photos how the laborers were dressed; during those times changes of clothing were pretty sparse ( usually, a couple of work outfits. Maybe(?) at least one, and a 'Sunday-go-to-meeting' suit.
As for the spices to cut the smells, Remember, then baths were in frequent (once a week, maybe?), ordinary cloths were worn til there was a need for a better grade of clothing to be worn, and mostly the work clothes were worn til worn out.
Indeed. I share your thoughts on the European component amongst the dock workers.
I hadn't looked at the second picture. I suspect the resolution of the scan isn't such as to allow deciphering the word "and" between "Mobile" and "Ohio."
I do note mother(?) and daughter observing the mayhem. Perhaps paying passengers on the freighter?
Anybody conversant in flags that can discuss the one flying from the stern of the banana boat? Appears to be of British descent.
Wandering off topic a bit.... A pleasant diversion.
WE are definitely "going off the Reservation!"
Larry; Linked to a website for British Naval Ensigns: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ensign
Two posibilities ( with the Black and White photo, it's kind of hard to destinguish a body of red or blue from each other, but the Union Jack in the upper corner may help(?)
"...The Blue Ensign was designated as the proper national colours for ships commanded by an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve, and (with an appropriate badge) as national colours for ships in government service. The Red Ensign was assigned to British merchantmen. This basic structure remains today..."
This is a brief explanation from the Wikipedia website referencing British Naval Ensigns:
and more briefly, further from Wikipedia: "...As a result, the Blue Ensign was used throughout the Empire and thus became the model for the flags used by a number of colonies and former colonies in the British Empire. At the same time, the red ensign (which was designated in 1864 as the flag for merchant shipping) was used by merchantmen of those colonies which obtained an Admiralty .."
All of which indicates that the Banana Ship and its cargo could have originated from a British colony in the area: Cayman Islands, Bermuda, or the British Virgin Islands, or loaded somewhere else in the Central or South America's
So much for rank speculation!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Jamaica_(1906-1957).svg
Similar to Shorpy pic. I think Fruit Growers Express was founded in 1914.
MIke:
Thanks, for the posting! The Birish Ensign that sparked the comments between myself and Larry was the flag flying on one of the two pictures (Full View) that I had posted. That flag was sporting the visible Union Jack in the Upper Corner nearest the pole. There was no medallion present ( the field either red or blue appeared to be plain). Each of the British Colonies authorized by warrant to fly that flag were authorized to display on the flag's field their specific Colonial Medallion.
The IC RR banana car (reefer) was interesting. The IC RR operated a dedicated reefer train service to the upper mid west.. The ICRR was responsible for the folks in the upper mid west being able to have and enjoy bananas. Those trains all ran nort and were iced at Railway Ice docs at the IC's Yard at Fulton, Ky for their trip to their destinations. At one time Fulton, Kentucky called itself the Banana Capital of the World because 70% of the Worlds Bananas passed through there.
samfp1943 a British colony in the area: Cayman Islands, Bermuda, or the British Virgin Islands, or loaded somewhere else in the Central or South America's
a British colony in the area: Cayman Islands, Bermuda, or the British Virgin Islands, or loaded somewhere else in the Central or South America's
Thanks Mike, for the great photo's. The United Fruit Company machine in the pictures made me think of Central America. But it took me over an hour to think of British Honduras, now Belize.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
One of today's banana boats. This one makes several port calls in Central America then heads north to Port Everglades, FL. From Florida it continues on to Wilmington, DE. From Wilmington it heads back to Central America with no southbound stop in Florida. It teams up with another similar ship to offer weekly service.
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=747751
http://www.doleoceancargo.com/English/Services/ServiceRoute/TabId/1405/Default.aspx?ServiceRouteId=1
http://www.doleoceancargo.com/English/Services/SailingSchedule/TabId/1425/Default.aspx
Seems like a great opportunity for FEC/CSX to get some northbound loads out of Florida.
bedell We watched the classic movie East of Eden last evening. The film seemed to show that shipping produce from CA to the East Coast in boxcars with ice blocks was a revolutionary idea in 1917. How early did the railroads start using insulated iced refrigerator cars? I thought the practice would have pre-dated 1917. Or was this just Hollywood not getting the facts right?
Johnny
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/pan/6a13000/6a13300/6a13313r.jpg
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/pan/6a13000/6a13300/6a13325r.jpg
Excellent, Mike! I am sure that we all learned more than we had ever known before about bananas, especially about the growing and harvesting.
Indeed, there was a time when bananas were not known in many parts of this country. There is the tale about two men who came down from the hills to a railroad station and decided to take a trip by train. After buying their tickets, they wandered into a grocery store and were puzzled by some yellow things they saw. After being told that they were bananas and were, indeed, good to eat, each bought one and kept it until they were on the train. A few minutes after the train began moving, one of them decided to eat his banana. Immediatly after he took his first bite, the train went into a tunnel--and he cried out, "Zeke have you eaten your banana?" Zeke said, "No," and was told, "Don't; I took one bite and I went stone blind!"
Between 1880 and 1940 the Grand Trunk Railway was getting ice for Ice Refrigerated Box Cars from frozen lakes along the right of way during the winters.
Just search on the term "Ice Harvest Grand Trunk"
Andrew
Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer
Likewise, the New York Central got a significant amount of the ice they needed from the Fulton Chain of Lakes (Old Forge), and the Racquette Lake Railroad hauled significant amounts of ice bound for NYC ice houses as well.
The ice shipped out sometimes amounted to 50,000 tons per year.
Sam, Bruce, Johnny, everyone, Thank you for enjoying the pictures.
A Ranchman's Recollections by Frank S. Hastings (1921).
Excerpt from History of Chicago by Alfred Theodore Andreas (1886)
Star Union Freight Line. - William W. Chandler, general agent of the Star Union Freight Line, was born at Randolph, Orange Co., Vt., on January 7, 1821. He is one of a family of thirteen children, and the success of some of these in the world of business is indeed noteworthy. Hon. J. A. Chandler is general agent of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway at St. Paul; Albert B.. is prominently connected with the Bennett-Mackay Cable Company in New York; Frank D. is a large dealer in music and musical instruments in Brooklyn; and Henry H. is now living in the old homestead in Vermont, where the entire family was born. William W. Chandler was educated at the Norwich Military Academy, attending the institution in the summer and teaching school in the winter. Away back in the "forties," he was offered a position as advance agent for a concert troupe of the Baker family. He accepted it against the entreaties of his family, who feared that the results of his venture might prove of little benefit to his moral nature. He started out and continued at the business for eight consecutive years with different troupes. In early days, the temptations which surrounded the showman were far greater than now, but Mr. Chandler proved faithful to his heritage and never once lost his own respect, while everywhere he went he proved Napoleonic in the conquest of the friendship of men. As early as 1850, he visited Chicago, and advertised the Baker Concert Troupe, which appeared in Tremont Hall on January 2, 1851. In 1853, he left "the road," and located at Cleveland, Ohio, where, on the 17th of March, he became fourth clerk in the freight office of the Cleveland, Pittsburgh & Wheeling Railroad, which then had but one hundred miles of road in operation. Within three months he held the position of first clerk, and at the end of two and a half years he was made general freight agent of the company, which then operated two hundred and forty miles of road. Mr. Chandler held the position until June, 1864, when he came to Chicago as general agent of the Star Union Freight Line, the pioneer of through-freight business as now carried on. Shortly after coming here Mr. Chandler secured permission from the Pennsylvania Company (which established the new freight auxiliary) to prepare thirty cars after a plan of his own, which he believed would prove very valuable in the shipment of butter, cheese, eggs and other perishable goods. He called these cars "ice-houses on wheels," and he is unquestionably the pioneer of the refrigerator-car system. Mr. Chandler had not the foresight to patent his idea, which was at once eagerly seized upon by others. Since 1864, Mr. Chandler has been continuously in the service of the Pennsylvania Company as its representative of their Star Union Line, and has charge of the "high-class freight" business between Chicago and Eastern cities in both directions. He is a man of untiring energy, in whom is felt an interest at first sight; in his office the soul of method; listens to the dictate of the millionaire or the complaint of the humblest worker with the same respectful civility and interest, and answers with a frankness that commands respect from all. He is thoroughly conscientious, and during his long career has ever maintained an honorable and spotless record. Mr. Chandler has been married three times, the last marriage occurring on August 18, 1881, to Miss Lavinia H. Pendleton, of Boston. He has two sons by his second wife,-William W., Jr., agent of the Adams Express Company of this city, and Fred B., secretary of the Wells Fargo Company, at San Francisco.
Report of Illinois State Dairymen's Association (1890)
Excerpt from Ice & Refrigeration by Southern Ice Exchange (1892)
Speaking of the American refrigerator car, Mr. J. H. Wickes, of Rochester recently said to a reporter that it is undoubtedly one of the many manifestations of American progress, and was so regarded at the Paris exposition, where the wondering Europeans could only gaze and admire. "The Europeans don't take to ice," said Mr. Wickes in the course of the conversation. "Why, you can't get a glass of ice water in Paris when the sun is boiling hot and the asphalt pavements are fairly melting. When we exhibited in Paris we had to send all the way to Switzerland for ice. Refrigerator cars are used more to-day than ever before, being in great demand in the south for the purpose of transporting fruits. This is comparatively a new application. A few such cars have been recently sent to the Argentine Republic."
Poor Mr. Wickes soon died rich. He may have been the first refrigerator car tycoon. His company had built 15,000 reefers, according to his obituary in the The New York Times....
DETROIT, Mich., Sept 24. -- James H. Wickes, a millionaire of New-York City and President of the Wickes Refrigerator Company, with headquarters at Rochester, N.Y., fell out of the second-story window of a house here last night and was instantly killed. He fell sixteen feet, to the stone sidewalk, striking on the back of his head, breaking his neck and fracturing his skull.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F50A15F8395C17738DDDAC0A94D1405B8285F0D3
Another reefer pioneer was Joel Tiffany.
http://www.midcontinent.org/rollingstock/builders/tiffany.htm
His car is mentioned in an 1886 letter about
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