Photo: FGEX 35754 With Potato Load (1943)

Photo from the State Historical Society Of Missouri:

https://cdm17228.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/imc/id/42655/rec/6

Scroll on the photo to enlarge it.

Small placard reads "Cleaned". Also a route or destination car tag reads "19..."

Another view:

https://cdm17228.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/imc/id/38276/rec/11

Anyone have an educated guess as to what is the document tacked to the inside of the door?

Bob Chaparro

Hemet, CA

The top half of it looks like it says "How to Serve Winter Keeping Potatoes".  So I'm guessing the lower half is recipe recommendations
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Bill Parks
Cumming, GA
Modelling the Seaboard Airline in Central Florida

Well spotted, but on close inspection I believe the header reads "How to STORE Winter Keeping Potatoes".
So not recipes but instructions to store in a cool, dark, dry place.  Common advice long before the Traveling Wilburys' song.   ;^)

Jack Mullen

Jack - 

Your eyes are better than mine (maybe I should stop ignoring the emails from my eye doctor reminding me it's time for new glasses) :) 
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Bill Parks
Cumming, GA
Modelling the Seaboard Airline in Central Florida

FGEX 35754 is an example of the FGE 1921 style underframe retrofitted w/4-inch steel channel lower sill, also built for WFEX after July 1923. Second car is a WFE Truss Rod reefer. Most FGE/WFE and I THINK most BRE potato traffic originated from Hastings, FLA. (FGE territory) and from WFE territory. In the winter, heaters were used for cars heading east in the winter. The change  from Ice to heaters was labor intensive often requiring some method to melt the ice (propane torches being one method). Pears, onions, potatoes, and apples were among the veggies that did well in cold storage and thus were good candidates for storage and then to be shipped as market prices went up.

Also note FGEX 35754 has retrofitted Hutchins, (note typical hatch rest with the metal roof) while the WFEX truss rod car has the original double board roof. Some of these old roofs survived into the late 1940's. BREX truss rod cars survived with these wood roofs until they were scrapped.

Speaking of potatoes, another important area for growing and harvesting potatoes is Long Island and thus the reason the Long Island RR had a contract with FGE to supply refrigerator cars, and their loading, inspection, and protection.

Bill Welch

Bill - 

You are correct.  Hastings was the "epicenter" of the Florida potato industry.  Hastings was served by the FEC, but the ACL, SAL, and SOU all had seasonal salesmen assigned in Hastings to try and get as much of the business hauling the potatoes north of Jacksonville, with the ACL being the dominant player.  There is an article in the Q1 2020 edition of "Lines South" (the quarterly magazine of the ACL & SAL Historical Society) on this topic.
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Bill Parks
Cumming, GA
Modelling the Seaboard Airline in Central Florida

It is my understanding that Hastings grown potatoes are particularly well suited for Potato Chips.

Bill Welch

Bill - 

You are correct.
--
Bill Parks
Cumming, GA
Modelling the Seaboard Airline in Central Florida