Hi all, At the moment I'm contemplating putting together an extremely small shelf layout. I live in a tiny apartment, and move rather frequently, so cramming a little switching action into a cramped space is the rule of the day. Though it is N scale, I've been inspired by Ken Olson's Dawson Station: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVyB8BmfHSw (And you can see the prototype that the layout is based on here): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=218W8qv4yUU However, I was thinking of changing the theme to something more nautical -- specifically a sleepy, end-of-the-line California cannery from the 1980s. There were many such businesses around the bay area in that timeframe, so a proto-freelance model of such an industry would probably flow well. It would have the same type of 'empties-in, full loads out' operation as a sawmill, just involving canned and frozen seafood as opposed to wood products. My question involves what kinds of cars to buy to ship frozen and canned seafood in. Would canned seafood in the 80s simply be shipped via boxcar? And, more importantly, what would frozen seafood be shipped in? I've been admiring the newer Intermountain R-70-20 reefers, but they all appear to be lettered for fruit... so I'm guessing it would be inappropriate to ship frozen seafood in these cars? If that's the case, what would they have been shipped in? I am on a budget, and can't go ordering $60 cars, so any help you could offer me would be much appreciated. I typically favor TrainWorld as my supplier of choice if that's of any help. Thanks!
Raised my curiosity so I went on a Google search to see what I can find. And not much! I did find this: http://www.borail.org/REAX-No7018.aspx describing how the REA express reefers carried seafood, but that would not fit your 80s timeframe. It appears that any 80's era mechanical reefer would do the job, but that's pure speculation on my part.
I'd believe canned seafood could go in a box car. I've never thought about how badly canned items might be bothered by warmth. It sits on grocery store shelves and in our pantries without benefit of cooling.
I work in the food industry in the UK, Canned produce does not need refrigerated transport. We receive canned bamboo shoots and water chestnuts direct from China in 20' containers, sweetcorn on a normal truck from Hungry and tuna from the Philippines delivered by van all at ambient temperature. The canning process removes the need for refrigeration so normal boxcars would be find. But we do get shrimp from Canada but this is frozen, maybe have the option of bringing in frozen products for processing?
