---

From: "'Eric Hansmann' eric@... [STMFC]"
To: STMFC@...
Sent: Thursday, June 2, 2016 1:48 PM
Subject: RE: Rutland Wheel Reports - Reefers (was Re: [STMFC] NYC Covered Hoppers)

My October 1926 ORER has the following notes for DSDX cars.

 

 

The refrigerator (M.C.B. designation RS) cars of this Company are marked “Dairy Shippers Despatch” and “D.S.D.X.,” and numbered 200 to 999 inclusive; inside dimensions: length 30 ft. 10 in., width, 8 ft., 2 in., height 7 ft. 4 in., capacity, 1800 cu. ft., 60,000 pounds (ice bunker capacity 5800 pounds crushed ice, 4600 pounds chunk ice, 125 cu. ft. measure of capacity). Total, 240 cars.

 

This entry is dated July 1926.

 

 

There seems to be conflicting info here. The statement of “numbered 200 to 999, inclusive” does not mesh with the final note of, “Total, 240 cars.” Unless the company was receiving new reefers during this 1926 time and not all had been placed into service. Can anyone consult a 1927 or 1928 ORER for additional detail?

 

Eric Hansmann

El Paso, TX

 

 

 

 

---

From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...]
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2016 9:54 AM
To: STMFC@...
Subject: Re: Rutland Wheel Reports - Reefers (was Re: [STMFC] NYC Covered Hoppers)

 

Hello,

Just pulled a March 1925 ORER and DSDX is listed as Dairy Shippers Despatch and had cars numbered between 200 and 999, but no total was given for the cars in service.  1925 sure predates 1951, in the article quoted below.  As probation was on, maybe the cars actually shipped dairy products or at least "near milk" from brewers.

Ted

At 09:12 AM 6/2/2016, you wrote:

http://www.ists.org/train_blog.html Scoll to the bottom and you will find this note:
Dairy Shippers Despatch
Our insulated boxcar was built by the Milwaukee Road for the Schlitz Brewery in 1951. The trucks are stamped with the Milwaukee Road designation CMStP&P, but the car body itself carried the designation and number DSDX 4299. DSDX refers to a company called Dairy Shippers Despatch (yes, spelled despatch, not dispatch), a shell company for Schlitz invented to disguise the contents of its cargo. The sides of a boxcar in the 1950s were 40 feet wide and 10 feet tall, making an excellent billboard for companies wishing to advertise their wares. But a trainload of railcars leaving Milwaukee clearly marked Miller, Pabst or Schlitz, was susceptible to break-ins by local railfans interested in the beverages being transported inside. To avoid these types of losses, Schlitz invented the Dairy Shippers name and painted all their cars in anonymous paint schemes which belied their contents. Reportedly, Dairy Shippers Despatch never shipped a dairy product, and they never lost a beer.
 
Doug Harding
http://www.iowacentralrr.org/
 

Rails Unlimited
Ted Schnepf
railsunl@...
847-697-5353
126 Will Scarlet
Elgin , Ill. 60120
http://RailsUnlimited.ribbonrail.com/

Model Railroad Sales and Service with
a personal touch.
Books new and used.  HO and O scales.
DCC supplies. O scale urethane cars.
Photos and darkroom services.
Checks, cash (0%) or credit (secure server at web site 5% added).

---

This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com

At 09:12 AM 6/2/2016, you wrote:

http://www.ists.org/train_blog.html Scoll to the bottom and you will find this note:
Dairy Shippers Despatch
Our insulated boxcar was built by the Milwaukee Road for the Schlitz Brewery in 1951. The trucks are stamped with the Milwaukee Road designation CMStP&P, but the car body itself carried the designation and number DSDX 4299. DSDX refers to a company called Dairy Shippers Despatch (yes, spelled despatch, not dispatch), a shell company for Schlitz invented to disguise the contents of its cargo. The sides of a boxcar in the 1950s were 40 feet wide and 10 feet tall, making an excellent billboard for companies wishing to advertise their wares. But a trainload of railcars leaving Milwaukee clearly marked Miller, Pabst or Schlitz, was susceptible to break-ins by local railfans interested in the beverages being transported inside. To avoid these types of losses, Schlitz invented the Dairy Shippers name and painted all their cars in anonymous paint schemes which belied their contents. Reportedly, Dairy Shippers Despatch never shipped a dairy product, and they never lost a beer.
 
Doug Harding
www.iowacentralrr.org
 

Rails Unlimited
Ted Schnepf
railsunl@...
847-697-5353
126 Will Scarlet
Elgin, Ill. 60120
http://RailsUnlimited.ribbonrail.com/

Model Railroad Sales and Service with
a personal touch.
Books new and used.  HO and O scales.
DCC supplies. O scale urethane cars.
Photos and darkroom services.
Checks, cash (0%) or credit (secure server at web site 5% added).

This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com

On Jun 2, 2016, at 10:54 AM, STMFC@... wrote:

Hello,

Just pulled a March 1925 ORER and DSDX is listed as Dairy Shippers Despatch and had cars numbered between 200 and 999, but no total was given for the cars in service.  1925 sure predates 1951, in the article quoted below.  As probation was on, maybe the cars actually shipped dairy products or at least "near milk" from brewers.

Ted

On Thu, 6/2/16, stevehprr@cox.net [STMFC] <STMFC@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Subject: [STMFC] Beer Reefers for Everyone
To: STMFC@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2016, 10:55 AM


 









Since cars which are conspicuous by their absence
in our modeling world have been mentioned: DSDX and SLRX
insulated boxcars for hauling beer from Milwaukee or St.
Louis are sorely needed. Unless someone is modeling
Milwaukee or St. Louis, obtaining a fleet of either is
unnecessary, but everyone can use one
of each no matter what part of the country is modeled.

A resin caster can make an
impact here.

Steve Hoxie
Pensacola FL











#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585 --
#yiv9666262585ygrp-mkp {
border:1px solid #d8d8d8;font-family:Arial;margin:10px
0;padding:0 10px;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mkp hr {
border:1px solid #d8d8d8;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mkp #yiv9666262585hd {
color:#628c2a;font-size:85%;font-weight:700;line-height:122%;margin:10px
0;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mkp #yiv9666262585ads {
margin-bottom:10px;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mkp .yiv9666262585ad {
padding:0 0;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mkp .yiv9666262585ad p {
margin:0;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mkp .yiv9666262585ad a {
color:#0000ff;text-decoration:none;}
#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-sponsor
#yiv9666262585ygrp-lc {
font-family:Arial;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-sponsor
#yiv9666262585ygrp-lc #yiv9666262585hd {
margin:10px
0px;font-weight:700;font-size:78%;line-height:122%;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-sponsor
#yiv9666262585ygrp-lc .yiv9666262585ad {
margin-bottom:10px;padding:0 0;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585actions {
font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;padding:10px 0;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585activity {
background-color:#e0ecee;float:left;font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;padding:10px;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585activity span {
font-weight:700;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585activity span:first-child {
text-transform:uppercase;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585activity span a {
color:#5085b6;text-decoration:none;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585activity span span {
color:#ff7900;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585activity span
.yiv9666262585underline {
text-decoration:underline;}

#yiv9666262585 .yiv9666262585attach {
clear:both;display:table;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;padding:10px
0;width:400px;}

#yiv9666262585 .yiv9666262585attach div a {
text-decoration:none;}

#yiv9666262585 .yiv9666262585attach img {
border:none;padding-right:5px;}

#yiv9666262585 .yiv9666262585attach label {
display:block;margin-bottom:5px;}

#yiv9666262585 .yiv9666262585attach label a {
text-decoration:none;}

#yiv9666262585 blockquote {
margin:0 0 0 4px;}

#yiv9666262585 .yiv9666262585bold {
font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;font-weight:700;}

#yiv9666262585 .yiv9666262585bold a {
text-decoration:none;}

#yiv9666262585 dd.yiv9666262585last p a {
font-family:Verdana;font-weight:700;}

#yiv9666262585 dd.yiv9666262585last p span {
margin-right:10px;font-family:Verdana;font-weight:700;}

#yiv9666262585 dd.yiv9666262585last p
span.yiv9666262585yshortcuts {
margin-right:0;}

#yiv9666262585 div.yiv9666262585attach-table div div a {
text-decoration:none;}

#yiv9666262585 div.yiv9666262585attach-table {
width:400px;}

#yiv9666262585 div.yiv9666262585file-title a, #yiv9666262585
div.yiv9666262585file-title a:active, #yiv9666262585
div.yiv9666262585file-title a:hover, #yiv9666262585
div.yiv9666262585file-title a:visited {
text-decoration:none;}

#yiv9666262585 div.yiv9666262585photo-title a,
#yiv9666262585 div.yiv9666262585photo-title a:active,
#yiv9666262585 div.yiv9666262585photo-title a:hover,
#yiv9666262585 div.yiv9666262585photo-title a:visited {
text-decoration:none;}

#yiv9666262585 div#yiv9666262585ygrp-mlmsg
#yiv9666262585ygrp-msg p a span.yiv9666262585yshortcuts {
font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;font-weight:normal;}

#yiv9666262585 .yiv9666262585green {
color:#628c2a;}

#yiv9666262585 .yiv9666262585MsoNormal {
margin:0 0 0 0;}

#yiv9666262585 o {
font-size:0;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585photos div {
float:left;width:72px;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585photos div div {
border:1px solid
#666666;height:62px;overflow:hidden;width:62px;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585photos div label {
color:#666666;font-size:10px;overflow:hidden;text-align:center;white-space:nowrap;width:64px;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585reco-category {
font-size:77%;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585reco-desc {
font-size:77%;}

#yiv9666262585 .yiv9666262585replbq {
margin:4px;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-actbar div a:first-child {
margin-right:2px;padding-right:5px;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mlmsg {
font-size:13px;font-family:Arial, helvetica, clean,
sans-serif;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mlmsg table {
font-size:inherit;font:100%;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mlmsg select,
#yiv9666262585 input, #yiv9666262585 textarea {
font:99% Arial, Helvetica, clean, sans-serif;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mlmsg pre, #yiv9666262585
code {
font:115% monospace;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mlmsg * {
line-height:1.22em;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-mlmsg #yiv9666262585logo {
padding-bottom:10px;}


#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-msg p a {
font-family:Verdana;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-msg
p#yiv9666262585attach-count span {
color:#1E66AE;font-weight:700;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-reco
#yiv9666262585reco-head {
color:#ff7900;font-weight:700;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-reco {
margin-bottom:20px;padding:0px;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-sponsor #yiv9666262585ov
li a {
font-size:130%;text-decoration:none;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-sponsor #yiv9666262585ov
li {
font-size:77%;list-style-type:square;padding:6px 0;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-sponsor #yiv9666262585ov
ul {
margin:0;padding:0 0 0 8px;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-text {
font-family:Georgia;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-text p {
margin:0 0 1em 0;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-text tt {
font-size:120%;}

#yiv9666262585 #yiv9666262585ygrp-vital ul li:last-child {
border-right:none !important;
}
#yiv9666262585

On Jun 2, 2016, at 8:22 AM, STMFC@... wrote:

DSDX for hauling beer out of Milwaukee?

I thought DSDX reporting marks were for Dairy Shippers Dispatch.

Maybe not enough milk and milk related products coming out of Wisconsin, so they had to haul beer as well?

Oh well, whatever helps the bottom line.

Ed Bommer

On Jun 2, 2016, at 5:14 AM, Benjamin Hom b.hom@... [STMFC] <STMFC@...> wrote:

 

Doug Harding wrote:
"The SLRX reporting marks are for the St Louis Refrigerator Car Co, originally a private refrigerator car line established by Anheuser-Busch. Later acquired by Manufactures Railway, which was also owned by A-B. Many SLRX cars were bunkerless reefers for transporting beer.
 

So Ben your list either indicates a lot beer drinkers at the destination or someone just wrote down the reporting marks wrong, http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2999020 and some of the cars are possibly Swift cars hauling meat. Of course if the meat was used to make brats it could be the beer was necessary."

 

I was thinking the same thing regarding transposition of the reporting marks.  I still need to do the car-by-car analysis to validate the entries.  If these numbers bear out, it looks like I need to get smarter about the St. Louis fleet.

Ben Hom