Pacific Fruit Express

Pacific Fruit Express (PFE) began transitioning to mechanical refrigeration in 1953 with its first order. The movement toward mechanical cooling actually began in 1952, but the technology was not widely adopted across the fleet all at once.

Here is a timeline of how the transition unfolded:

Early 1950s: Following the lead of Fruit Growers Express, PFE began exploring mechanical options to meet the growing demand for frozen food transport.

1953: This marked the breakthrough year. PFE placed its first order for mechanical reefers, building 380 fifty-five-foot cars and additional "all-purpose" cars shortly after.

1957: PFE built its final cars equipped with ice bunkers, signaling the completion of the shift to the new standard.

1972: The older ice cars were finally completely retired from service, leaving the fleet entirely mechanical.

Would you like to know the specific models of refrigeration units they used in those early cars?

Based on the search results, the specific model of the mechanical refrigeration unit used in Pacific Fruit Express's earliest mechanical reefers was Carrier refrigeration equipment, powered by a Witte opposed-piston Diesel engine built by U.S. Steel's Oil Well Supply Division .

This information comes from the preserved Pacific Fruit Express #300010, a class R-70-7 car built in May 1953, which is now part of the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum's collection .

Additional Context from the Search Results

The search results provide further context on PFE's reefers, though information on specific model numbers for other mechanical units remains limited:

First Mechanical Refrigerator Cars (1953): PFE's first order for mechanical reefers in 1953 included 380 fifty-five-foot cars . These were followed by 500 forty-five-foot "all-purpose" cars in the R-40-30 class, which featured a more versatile refrigeration system suitable for a wider temperature range .

Final Ice-Cooled Cars (1957): The R-40-27 and R-40-28 classes, built from January through August 1957, were PFE's last ice-cooled cars. These cars used ice with overhead electric fans for air circulation. After these classes, PFE fully transitioned to mechanical refrigeration .

Later Mechanical Reefers (1967-1968): Later mechanical reefers built by Pacific Car and Foundry (PC&F) for PFE from 1967 to 1968 used different refrigeration systems, though the search results do not specify the model.

Pacific Fruit Express (PFE) officially began its transition to mechanical refrigeration in 1953.

While the company had experimented with various cooling technologies for decades, the post-World War II era saw a significant push toward mechanical units to better transport frozen foods, which required more consistent temperatures than traditional ice-and-salt bunkers could provide.

Key Milestones in PFE’s Mechanical Era

1952 (Prototypes): PFE tested several experimental mechanical cars, including conversions of existing wood-sheathed and steel cars.

1953 (First Production Run): The first large-scale order of "Super-Insulated" mechanical refrigerator cars entered service. These cars were primarily designated for frozen food service and carried the PFE reporting mark in the 300000 series.

1950s Expansion: Throughout the mid-to-late 1950s, PFE rapidly expanded its fleet with cars like the R-70-12 class, which utilized diesel-powered refrigeration units (often from manufacturers like Trane or Thermo King).

The 1960s Transition: By the early 1960s, mechanical cars became the standard for new construction. PFE began phasing out its massive fleet of ice-bunker cars, a process that was largely completed by the early 1970s as icing stations across the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific lines were closed.

Technical Distinction

The early mechanical cars were often referred to as "All-Purpose" cars because they could handle both frozen goods (requiring sub-zero temperatures) and fresh produce (requiring "heaters" or mild cooling), providing a versatility that the old "reefers" simply couldn't match.

PFE's transition to mechanical refrigeration began in the early 1950s. One of the first mechanical-type refrigerator cars PFE built was completed in May 1953 at their Roseville, California shops. It was equipped with Carrier refrigeration equipment powered by a diesel engine, replacing the traditional ice-block cooling method. [PSRM]

After World War II, mechanical refrigerators gradually began supplanting the older ice bunker cars, and by 1972 the ice cars had been totally replaced. [California Digital Library]

So the transition spanned roughly two decades — from the early 1950s when the first mechanical cars were introduced, to 1972 when the changeover was complete.