To build
on what Ted stated, I had presented both at Chicagoland and Cocoa on national
reefer movements with info taken from 1956 and 1957 AAR monthly reports. These
are the only reports in a series I have found to date, and I model as I have
stated prior Sept/Oct 1953, so these are applicable to only some degree.
……….
Quotes taken
directly from AAR monthly reports (again found only for 1956-1957)
January
1956 First week of January was heavy for potatoes this season with 4000 loads
shipped. No surplus of reefers noted in any loading districts. Most in protected service.
Feb 20,
1956 “Northern-Belt states (1) heavy and strong use of reefers in protected
service continues.”
March
20, 1956 “Northern belt states use of reefers remains strong and because of
that, there are car shortages and delayed car placement being reported in the
southwest.”
April
20, 1956 “No surplus of cars however all demands are being met.” 1,216 or 5.2%
of national fleet out for repair
May 21,
1956 “The heaviest demands for refrigerator cars normally shifts from the
Northern-Belt States to the Southeastern, Gulf, and Southwestern states during
April and May.”
June 20,
1956 “There has been practically no letup in the demand for refrigerator cars
since the first week in January. Market
demand for potatoes became strong during movements of the old potato crops from
Maine and Idaho, and continues strong for new potatoes loading from California
and Arizona.” (2)
July 20,
1956 Use of refrigerator cars was moderately heavy during June averaging 31,688
cars loaded each week and while heavy, it was below the weekly average of
32,046 car loads for Jan 1 to June 30. Included in
the reports were 53,786 carloads of Bananas originating at US ports in the 1st half
of this year.
August
21, 1956 Local home-grown produce is reducing the need for shipping from
distant areas. Middle-West, Allegheny,
and North Atlantic states have excellent growing conditions and local supplies
are plentiful. Normal summer low loading began
in July”…. (And this was interesting, as I mentioned in the presentation, if
you are modeling late July/August, perhaps some reefers should be sidelined,
unless they are in protected service, protecting their commodity against high
heat.)
Sept 20,
1956, Heaviest car loading period of the year - except for reefers.
October
25, 1956 Idaho loading of potatoes, apples,
and onions greater than 1200 carloads per week, Red River Valley (MN/ND border)
potatoes are at 1000 carloads a week and will be steady at that rate for some
time. Most of Maine potatoes are being stored, some movement in Sept., however
takes off in December lasting to April.
December
20, 1956 Potato loading greater than 1500 per week in Maine, peaked at 1200 per
week in Idaho and the Red River Valley. Northern states put demands on protected
service and perishables other than fresh fruit and vegetables.
February
20, 1957 Frozen food loading, including fruits and berries, vegetables,
dressed poultry, etc. amounted to 25,116 carloads the first three quarters of
1956, an increase of 8.2% over same time of 1955. A 13.4% increase is forecast for 1957. Since
middle of January, loading requirements show increasing need in fresh fruit and
vegetable shipping areas. Florida, Red River Valley, Maine, California, and
Idaho needs will rise for the next eight weeks.
March
20, 1957, Protected service demands continue with moderately heavy carloading
estimated for Florida and Arizona during late March. Loading in Florida est. to
be 3,500/week by April. California and Arizona will rise to 3,900. Stored potatoes estimated to move from Maine,
Idaho, and Red River valley in March and April, same time FL, TX, and AZ will see
heaviest loading.
Therefore,
all refrigerators will be in service at that time. (No reefers out for
servicing)
*Northern
Belt states defined as states north of Mason-Dixie Line.
Other
reefer uses were use of reefers Ted listed. Magazines, plants, flowers, cigarettes, and
even tires, and matches used reefers for shipment. Freight forwarders took
advantage of the return empty rates on refrigerators and used these cars. Freight
moved in refrigerator cars via protected service fall to spring in the northern
US and Canada and must filtered south.
I
thought I had uploaded a list of commodities that use protected service (for
protection against both heat and cold) however found it empty and so reloaded
it. Here:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/STMFC/files/Perishable%20Commodities%2C%20definition%20and%20list%20of%20/
Such a
list also exists in the PFE book.
My conclusion
stated at the end of the presentation were: There are many, many possibilities
to use refrigerator cars beyond use only in perishable commodity use. Doing such
limits your realistic application of your rolling stock
………………
(1) Northern Belt states defined as north of the Mason-Dixie line.
(2) Of potatoes,
and their seemingly year round movement. From research there seems to be early,(also called new),
mid and late season potatoes. Early and new like the Kern Valley, CA potatoes seem to be shipped directly to market with mid-season
stored somewhat and late season OK to be stored for many months, then shipped. If
we have a horticulturalist or potato grower on this list, I would be happy to
hear more, and if it could be stated with respect to this list’s time frame,
all the better.
Reason
for the interest in potatoes is that this seems to be the one perishable commodity
that moves year round. Most of us on this list have eaten potatoes several
times this week already and so I would petition that it makes that the one
possible most likely reefer load we all could use on our railroad.
Jim Dick – St. Paul
To those
that would ask about us that present if we could upload our PowerPoint presentations,
I would be happy to except like most presenters, have copyrighted images use granted
for educational display at said conventions only - in our presentations. I do and to cut those out I feel leaves jumps in the rhythm of the presentation.
