Ben Hom wrote (replying to Frank Valoczy):

"Not a ventilated car, but I was also very surprised to notice MDT
5659 with "merchandise," PFE 33196 with "magazines," and WFEX 66159
with "compound" - whatever that might be."

Again, not unusual at all.

Quite true. PFE had a substantial westbound loading pattern of magazines, many from Philadelphia (think _Saturday Evening Post_). This was at least as early as the 1920s and persisted into the 1960s.

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
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