(erielack) PFE in Virginia,etc.

["RAILDATA_@_aol.com"]

I have to agree that PFE refrigerator cars were "everywhere".  But you have to
look to the produce distribution centers in the major cities.  In Viignian I
would guess this would be Washington DC, Richmond, and possible Roanoke.

My home town of Scranton PA was the produce distribution center for all of
norhteastern PA and part of NY.  In addition to about 10 wholesale companies
the A&P stores had a huge produce operation there. Through the mid '60's there
probably 40 to 50 refrigerator cars being unloaded there at any given time.
Seems that every car company that leased to produce haulers showed up there,
with many PFE and FGEX cars. Can also recall NP,NWX,ART,WFEX.  Interestingly,
I only recall seeing very few LRX and MDT cars. I think these were used
primarily for the westbound bananna traffic out of NY harbour farther west
since banannas were trucked into  Scranton is since it was only about 130
miles to NY.  This produce traffic was all centered around the area where
Steamtown is now, mostly across Lackawanna Ave where the bus treminal is now
located.

Most of this traffic came in on the DL&W but the FGEX cars came on the D&H,
probably picked up from the PRR at Wilkes-Barre.

Meat reefers were also very much in evidence. Armour, Swift, Wilson, and
Cudahy all had distribution centers in Scranton and were served by their
private cars.  Armour and Wilson were on the DL&W, Swift on the D&H, and
Cadahy on the CNJ but I think it all came in on the DL&W and then was switched
to the delivering roads.

As for reefers on short lines, I recall the Bellefonte Central delivering cars
of produce to the Penn State food service building in the fall of 1950.  Also
the Laurel Line (outside third rail interurban) received reefers of produce
from the DL&W and carried to the 17 miles to the Thomas C. Thomas produce co.
in Wilkes-Barre.

There is also a very neat (and famous) shot of a PRR ore train going up the
grade to
Shamokin PA with a single meat reefer cut in jsut behind the tender...not sure
where it was going but probably a local delivery to Hazleton or some other
town in the coal regions.

So I think the answer is you have to look at the major cities for the most
part for the refrigerator cars...but there are the exceptions!

Chuck Yungkurth   

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