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Erie Railroad Perishable Service

For many years PFE and Santa Fe recommended to shippers routing perishables for New York and New England over the Erie Railroad due to their speed and well-earned low damage reputation.

Schuyler Larrabee commented on the Groups.io Real Steam Era Freight Car Discussion group:

I managed to severely irritate a member of my model railroad club by stating that the ERIE delivered more perishable traffic to New York (the City) than any other railroad.? (This was true for many years).? As a

former NY Central employee, he took great umbrage at that, and said he could not believe that was true, as the Central had service directly onto Manhattan, and (he blustered) I'll have to check the records.

Several weeks later . . . I asked if he'd done that.? "Yes."? And the results??

He had no answer to that.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

PFE Colton Ice Plant

A post by Ronald G. Martin on the Facebook Sheila Steele's Inland Empire Calif. History/Culture group.

My Notes:

Undated photo.

Original plant purchased from Armour Meat Packing in1908. An entirely new plant with the pre-cooler was built in 1910. Within a few years there were three icing platforms

In 1952 over 24,000 reefers were iced. This plant served the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and cars brought in from the Pacific Electric Railway. It also provided ice to other PFE icing stations and plants as needed.

Pre-cooling operations were shut down in the 1950s.

In 1973 the ICC permitted discontinuance of bunker icing for refrigerator cars. The railroads no longer were required to re-ice reefers in transit on their lines. This meant that large reefer fleet operators such as FGE, PFE and Santa Fe no longer could rely on other railroads to re-ice interchanged reefers.

Top-iced service (placing ice over the load) was offered after that date by some railroads that discontinued bunker icing. This service was used mainly for vegetables. Some of the ice bunker cars also continued to be used as insulated boxcars but the number of ice bunker reefers in revenue service declined rapidly after 1973.

Several other developments also caused a decline in overall perishable shipments. The continued development of the Interstate Highway System favored trucking as did new, more favorable trucking regulations related to agriculture. In addition, the rise of the large supermarket chains in the 1950s encourage direct truck shipment of perishables to distribution centers and retail stores, thus reducing business for the large metropolitan produce terminals that were destinations for refrigerator cars.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

?

From Carpinteria Mutual Citrus Association in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County, California. Printed by Western Lithograph Company, Los Angeles. Circa 1930s.

An overprint of a stock label.

Bruce Morden commented:

I think this was the simplest label from Carpinteria Mutual.

Aliso means Alder in Spanish.?

This is interesting to me because Carpinteria Mutual Lemon refused to hire Mexican workers during the time Aliso School was a segregated.

The Carpinteria Mutual Lemon Association packing house still stands at Linden and the tracks. Island Brewing Company occupies a portion of the plant. It is the only packing plant building left in Carpinteria.? Carpinteria Lemon Association (formerly CD Hubbard Fruit Co.) burned down years ago.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

Ex-PFE R-40-26 Reefer

A post by Rob Sarberenyi on the Facebook Freight Car Enthusiast group.

He comments:

SBC 3053, a former PFE R-40-26 ice reefer from PFE series 8001-10000 built by SP Equipment Company, Job ____, 1950-52. Converted to an MOW bunk car. Note the TV antennas on the roof. Photo at Pasculitos, Baja California, Mexico on 10/25/76 by Steve Vincent.

SBC = Ferrocarril Sonora Baja California

My Notes:

A photo of an R-40-26 Reefer in service. Note the mechanical fan.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

Overland Crate Label

A post by Eric Oliphant.

He comments:

OVERLAND brand ‘green label’ for short boxes. National Orange Company, California. Western Litho CO. Los Angeles. CAL. 1109 (printed November, 1909)

the National Orange Company Packing House 3604 Commerce Street, Riverside, Riverside County, CA was the oldest continuously operated packing house in Riverside. built in 1898.

With this being a green label, not Red or Blue I'll assume these were small oranges, 56 oranges in a short box 'guaranteed.'

My Notes:

This brings a Union Pacific herald to mind.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

Model: PFE 3477 (R-40-25)

A post by Lance Mindheim on the Facebook The Rustbucket Forum Weathering Group

He comments:

I've had this project in mind ever since Terence Boardman posted his exquisite example last December. First, I applied a highly dilute Tamiya light gray wash with an airbrush (Thanks Peter Krause!). Next was a black oil wash on the roof and burnt umber wash on the sides. I took a brown artist pencil with a razor-sharp tip and, using a straight edge, lightly highlighted the panels and rivet lines. Finally, I wrapped things up with some brown chalk on the ends and tack boards. I wasn't able to get to Ternence's skill level but certainly benefited from the tips provided.? Thanks folks!

My Notes:

Prototype built by the SP Equipment Company.

The 3,000 R-40-25 Class cars originally were numbered 2001-5000 when delivered in 1949 and 1950. 575 cars renumbered 12001-15000 in 1965-1967. 90 cars renumbered 60001-60999 in 1970.

About 85 cars were placed into meat service, identified by an “8” placed in front of their original numbers. 180 cars eventually were assigned to top ice vegetable (TIV) service.

About 500 cars still were in revenue service by 1973.

Photos and discussion in the PFE book begin on Page 179.

InterMountain has HO scale R-40-25 reefers available with six original car numbers and a 1949 build date.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

Source: Tank House Model

A post by Conowingo Models on Facebook:

The Farm-Type Water Tank in HO scale by Conowingo Models.

Originally produced by Sugar Pine Models, we reworked the design for ease of building. The kit features laser-cut wood, Tichy door and windows and a few 3d printed parts. This kit is packed with charm and would look great on any layout.

Order yours today:

My Notes:

These were quite common on citrus ranches before the widespread installation of municipal water systems. I believe the main use was as a domestic water supply rather than grove irrigation.

I have no connection, personal or financial, to Conowingo Models.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

Reefer Notes

A post from the Rensselaer Model Railroad Society courtesy of Doug Harding

Refrigerator cars ("reefers") were used to carry lading, mostly food, that needed to be kept below the outside temperature.? (Sometimes the insulation allowed the contents to be kept from freezing, such as potatoes.)? Throughout most of the steam-era, the refrigerant was ice.? Melting ice water would spoil foodstuffs, so it had to be kept separate.

The most common way was to place the ice in bunkers at the end of the car. This was visible from the outside by ice hatches on the roof.

Wood sheathing for reefers was the norm for about two decades after box cars had switched to steel. It was felt that wood was a better insulator than metal.? Eventually they realized that steel was better at keeping the insulation in the walls from getting wet, as wet insulation ceased to insulate.

Reefers could carry milk, produce, or meat. Milk and produce had to be kept COOL, meat had to be kept COLD. In order to lower the melting point of ice below 32 degrees, salt was mixed in (just as it is used to melt ice on sidewalks).? But the resulting brine was extremely corrosive to steel, including steel rails.

Ordinary reefers allowed the meltwater to drain out of the bottom of the car. Meat reefers had to have special brine tanks to hold this.? Meat reefers typically also had to have "beef rails" to hold a whole carcass.

The most visible thing about meat reefers is that they typically were only 36 feet long overall as opposed to the almost universal 40-foot standard box car or produce reefer.? The mostly likely reason is that natural refrigeration was strained to keep a longer car cold enough. (Yes, all sorts of exceptions.)

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

W.B. Wall Packing House

A post by David Eck.

Description:

W.B. Wall Packing House - Tustin - 1892

One of the earliest and largest orange packing houses in Orange County was owned by Dr. W.B. Wall. Wall is at the far left. The image shows an "up-to-date packing house" of the period. Dr. Wall was a physician who was the first president of the Orange County Medical Association.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

Honor Role – Donations 2025

Many thanks to those who have contributed to the Hemet Heritage Foundation/Hemet Depot Museum.

So far, these folks have made contributions:

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Lou Adler

Peter Aue

Bob Becker

Robert Bowdidge

Jim Bremer

Ron Collins

Bill Cooper

Michael Davis

Robert Dunham

David Dunn

Peter Ely

William Foster

Gary Hess

Charles Hepperle

Bill Jolitz

James Keena

Kirby Kersels

Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer

Margaret Lewis

Frank Lopez

Rich Mahaney

James Marciniak

Curtis Reinhardt

Dennis Retterer

Tony Ritzman

Randy Scott

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If I have missed anyone, please let me know.

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Now, if any of you not mentioned above wish to contribute, I ask that you contribute to the Hemet Heritage Foundation. This non-profit group owns and operates the museum in historic Santa Fe Depot in Hemet, CA.

The group receives no government funding and has no paid employees. Volunteers do all the work, and all expenses are paid through annual Foundation memberships and donations.

Donations are critical. Among other necessities, we need to accumulate funds replace the Depot roof and some of the air conditioning components.

If you wish to donate, please go to this website:

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

The Venta Spur

An illustrated post from the Abandoned Rails website:

Comments on the Facebook Shadows of Old Saddleback group:

Venta Spur – A 1914 Santa Fe Railroad spur line on the Irvine Ranch, which served the Frances packing house and other points on the ranch. The name is Spanish for “market”. The spur was also known as the Irvine Ranch Branch. It was still in use in the 1980s, but it has since been transformed into a bike trail.

My Notes:

A John Signor map below.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

Lemon Pickers

A post by David Eck

Description:

Lemon Pickers - Orange, California - 1903

Harvesting lemons is different from harvesting oranges. For one thing, lemon trees were blooming and fruiting throughout the growing year, so pickers needed to go over trees multiple times. Plus, most varieties had a least a few thorns to contend with. You also needed a greater degree of skill to only pick lemons that were a certain size and color.

This looks like tough group who could handle the rigors of lemon picking. These men had to have strong backs and sufficient fortitude to get the job done, and done right.

My Notes:

Image shows a group of nine citrus workers standing with crates of lemons and ladders. Third from the right is Henry J. Hinrichs, leaning his right elbow on next worker. Photo: Orange Public Library.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

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Model: Weathered PFE 5538

A post by Rob Arsenault on the Facebook Weather My Trains group.

He comments:

O scale brass 40' steel sided ice reefer from Precision Scale Co.

My Notes:

I’m not sure if the car number is valid. Nonetheless, nice weathering.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

Santa Clara Lemon Association

A post by David Eck.

Description:

Santa Clara Lemon Association - Oxnard - Circa 1930s

The packing house crew are packing both their Sunkist brand and Red Ball brand lemons. The packers on the left are packing Go Brand lemons (Sunkist), and the packers on the right are packing High Gear Brand lemons (Red Ball).

Note the large number of empty boxes, for both brands, that have been prepared for the packers.

This image was taken for Southern California Edison by Doug White as part of their documentation of electric lighting in commercial settings. The original photograph is from the Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

Retired SFRD Reefer (Rr-46)

A post by Peter Hayes on the Facebook Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society group.

He comments on this and two other less-detailed photos:

Santa Fe reefers in and east of La Junta, Colorado, that I found on August 20th, 2018. I always love finding these relics across the west!

My Notes:

Looks like this reefer was in M-O-W or work service before being retired. Class Rr-46reefer from Series 9870-10869. The cars in this class were rebuilt in 1948-49 from Classes Rr-X, -Y, -2, -3 and -4 reefers.

What can be seen are the reverse-opening hatch covers, high-mounted tack boards and swing doors.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator

PFE 11065 (R-40-27)

A Ron Hawkins photo taken 1/20/1975 at East Los Angeles, CA

My Notes:

PFE 11065 is a Class R-40-27 reefer (Series 10001-11700), one of 1,700 built new in 1957 by the Roseville (350), Colton (600) and Los Angeles (750) Shops.

They were originally lettered in the 1952 paint scheme and subsequently re-lettered in the PFE “Gothic” paint scheme adopted by PFE in 1960.

As of 1975 there were still 1,275 R-40-27 reefers on the roster with their original numbers.

A little over 500 of the R-40-27 cars were converted to Top Ice-Vegetable (TIV) service between 1972 to 1975. The ice bunkers were not used for this application and the hatch covers were bolted shut.

Good reference photo for weathering.

Bob Chaparro

Moderator