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From: "Paul R DOT Tupaczewski" paultup AT comcast DOT net
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:39:26 -0400
Subject: RE: (erielack) EL's Cool Whip reefers by Intermountain
"5002_Fullerton_CA-6-3-73-Ron_Hawkins.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1000x726 (24bit)

> Do we know if the EL cars are identical to any particular PFE class? The
> Intermountain cars are R-70-20s, and the Red Caboose cars are R-70-15s I
> believe. They are different, particularly the roof and the detail around
the
> mechanical refrigeration units. The Red Caboose cars have roofwalks and
> high mounted brake wheels, like the first series of EL reefers.

The first batch of EL cars had roofwalks, high ladders, and LOW-MOUNTED
brake wheels (see the attached image). Weird, eh?


> For supporting evidence, we turn to the consist sheets. Granted, the
sample
> is small and not statistically significant. However, there are NO
examples of
> empty EL reefers being consigned specifically back to the Avon plant. The
> only car (5022) that appears consigned to western NY (other than Buffalo)
> was an empty for the Agent in Hornell in train BS-2/BS-4 on 1/9/76. The
only
> cars consigned to a General Foods plant in Avon are several reefers of
frozen
> vegetables going to the Birdseye plant and a few tank cars of "other
food."
> There are no empty reefers of any variety going to Avon.

I can only add where they were GOING in the NY Terminal area, since that's
all I culled from the consist sheets:

* 5003 to "NATSEATER" in Jersey City, NJ (most likely a refrigerated
warehouse)
* 5005 to Carnation in Englewood, NJ (dairy products)
* 5015 - no data with the consist line unfortunately
* 5038 to General Foods in Jersey City, NJ

All cars were loaded with "OTHFOOD." Could these have been used for other
refrigerated products, like frozen vegetables?


> 5010...Empty in train HB-1 of 6/11/75...consigned to the Agent in Buffalo.

I think that's what's supposed to happen. They don't get routed to Avon, but
to Buffalo, where the Agent is responsible for getting them back.


> We can argue that all of the loads actually came from the Avon plant
because
> the consist sheets do not indicate where the loads originated. The empty
> consigned to the Agent in Buffalo could in fact be going back to the Avon
> plant. We don't know from the consist sheet. However, there are two
> empties that are not going back to Avon. One is going to Green Giant in
> Belvedere, IL, perhaps for frozen vegetables, and the other is going to
> Bensenville on the Milwaukee Road, for purposes unknown.

It's a compelling argument. It's hard to imagine that a fleet of 40 cars was
purchased for only Cool Whip. General Foods DOES have frozen food products
other than Cool Whip, so it's completely plausible they could use it for
frozen vegetables.

- Paul



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