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Cryogenic Refrigerator Cars

This page was last updated on April 17, 2026.

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Operators Of Cryogenic Refrigerator Cars

(Sources include a wide variety of internet searches, including current and abandoned websites at Archive.org, and various issues of the Freight Cars Journal. The focus of this page is to establish a timeline using sources not previously readily available.)

(These are incomplete research notes. Comment or correction is most welcome.)

(View an interim roster of mechanical and cryogenic refrigerator cars after 1970)

BNSF

(Research suggests that BNSF did not operate any cryogenic Plate C or Plate F cars.)

(Read more about the BNSF mechanical refrigerator cars - built after the cryogenic era had ended)

CEFX

CEFX series 992114-992143 (30 cars), built in 2006 by Trinity, are R660 RP refrigerator cars with 6838 cu. ft. and 64'-0" IL, and are very similar (if not identical) to the Greenbrier-Gunderson cars built for CRYX and LINX.

Cryo-Trans Inc.

During the early 1980s the availability of mechanical refrigerated rail cars owned and/or operated by the nation's railroads was becoming a critical issue that confronted the ever-expanding frozen food industry. Rising fuel prices, escalating truck equipment costs, and driver shortages increased the shippers' dependency on the truck transportation that had replaced the railroad systems as an effective mode of transportation.

The railroads have maintained a posture of declining interest towards the replacement of, or adding to their refrigerated car fleets. A couple of reasons are cited for this attitude on the part of the railroads. The first reason was the high cost to maintain the typical mechanical refrigerator rail car. A second reason is the high cost of new equipment replacement. As a result, the availability of mechanically refrigerated boxcars had declined more than fifty percent since late 1970s and the numbers continued to dwindle at a rate of three to five percent per year. As a result, finding an alternative to the mechanically refrigerated railcar became an industry top priority.

The first Cryo-Trans rail cars were delivered in 1986, with several new groups added after that. The first cars were unique in that they used carbon dioxide (CO2) to maintain the cold temperatures. In 1998 Cryo-Trans abandoned the CO2 technology and maintained a fleet of mechanical refrigerator cars. Cryo-Trans was sold in 2021 to Lineage Logistics, a large multi-national logistics conglomerate, and later in 2021, Lineage began receiving more new mechanical refrigerators cars.

(Read more about Cryo-Trans and its cryogenic refrigerators cars)

First Union Rail (FURX)

(CRYX cars)

The FURX cryogenic cars sold to Cryo-Trans were from the FURX 690000–690109 series (110 cars) in 2009.

In 2011, "Most of the FURX cars (690000-690108) are still in existence. The XTRX cryogenic cars (200-242, rebuilt from WP RBLs) are gone, though." (Carl Shaver, January 2011)

Upon acquisition, these cars were integrated into the Cryo-Trans roster and renumbered as CRYX 3400 and 3500 series, with some also being converted from cryogenic to mechanical refrigeration. Before their time with First Union Rail (FURX), 35 of these cars were part of the original 40-car Lamb-Weston/ConAgra CAGX 9600 series.

• FURX 690000 series cars were renumbered into the CRYX 3400 and 3500 series. Apparently some FURX cars were sold to other buyers, since only 86 of the 110 FURX cars were sold to Cryo-Trans.
• CRYX 3400–3434 (35 cars): These were the original Lamb-Weston/ConAgra CAGX cars and were rebuilt into mechanical reefers.
• CRYX 3452–3474 (23 cars): This group remained as cryogenic cars after the sale to Cryo-Trans.
• CRYX 3500–3526 (27 cars): This group remained as cryogenic cars after the sale to Cryo-Trans.

(Photos of FURX 690000 series cars at RRPictureArchives.net)

General American "Arcticar" (GATX)

(almost identical to CRYX cars)

(Read more about the 1995 GATX vs. Cryo-Trans law suit at Justia Law; includes notes about the history of Cryo-Trans and the history of the cryogenic refrigerator car)

General American Transportation Corp. (GATC) operated a fleet of cryogenic cars built by Gunderson in 1991. The GARX cars were labeled as the "Arcticar" with GARX reporting marks. GATX leased some of its cars to McCain Frozen Foods and to Carnation, and both groups wear appropriate heralds. The cars operated with numbers GARX 68000-68109 (110 cars).

Scott Chatfield wrote in March 1994, "The original series is GARX 68000-68030; the McCains and Carnations are part of the second order, GARX 68031-68080. Not all cars from this second order are subleased, though. The Carnation heralds were applied after the cars had been in service for several months, and it's obvious where the car-side was cleaned to add the red herald."

The original General American cryogenic cars following the Gunderson/Cryo-Trans pattern were numbered as GARX 68000-68109 (110 cars). These cars were specifically built by Gunderson between 1990 and 1992 using the "Arcticar" design.

GATX (General American) operated these under the GARX reporting mark. They were "Hi-Cube" cars, measuring 70 feet to 72 feet in length, designed for high-density frozen food loads.

(Photos of GARX 68000 series "Arcticar" cars at RRPictureArchives.net)

With GATC's exit from the cryogenic refrigerator car market following its loss in the patent infringement suit in 1995, the 109 remaining cars passed to First Union Rail (FURX) ownership, numbered as FURX 690000–690108 series.

GATC continues to operate modern insulated cars (RBL or XLI or XPI) in the GACX 79000 series, with photos dated in 2024 and 2025.

(Photos of GACX 79000 series modern insulated cars at RRPictureArchives.net)

(See also: "GATX Arcticar, Frozen Foods by Rail" by Mark W. Heinz in Mainline Modeler, September 1992)

(See also: "GATX Arcticar, A Second Order of Cryogenic Railcars" by Mark W. Heinz in Model Railroading, September 1993)

(Read the text of the two Mark Heinz articles noted above)

J. R. Simplot (JRSX)

(almost identical to CRYX cars)

J. R. Simplot (JRSX) 6000 series cars, built in 1990, look like both Cryo-Trans and Arcticars. Simplot was the first buyer of Greenbrier-Gunderson cryogenic reefers, and had the second biggest fleet, 101 cars numbered 6000-6050 and 6100-6149. The series is JRSX 6000-6050 (built 1988) and 6100-6149 (built 1990).

Like the other operators of cryogenic cars, Simplot changed direction and began operating modern refrigerator cars with trailer-type, front-mounted refrigeration units.

Lamb-Weston (CAGX)

(CRYX cars)

Lamb-Weston/ConAgra CAGX 9600 series, built in 1996. The lease ended in 2008; sold to First Union Rail (FURX), then to Cryo-Trans (CRYX) in 2009.

CAGX 9601-9670 (70 cars), built 1996. 70 new-built 6854 cubic-foot cryogenic refrigerator cars. Built March to May, and August-September 1996.

The Lamb-Weston cars did not have their own reporting mark. Lamb-Weston was a subsidiary of ConAgra, and the Lamb-Weston cars were operated under the ConAgra CAGX reporting mark.

(Prior to the cryogenic era that started in the late 1980s, Lamb-Weston shipped its products in cars leased from the R.E.M.X. Corporation (REMX). These were former SPFE mechanical refrigeration cars.)

"On November 26, [1986] UP and Lamb-Weston Inc. of Portland, Ore., signed a $100 million, lO-year contract for the shipment of frozen potato products from Washington, Idaho and Oregon to Lamb-Weston's markets in the midwestern, southern and eastern parts of the country. The contract, which coincides with a major expansion of Lamb-Weston's plant at American Falls, Idaho, will provide rail transportation for these perishable shipments destined primarily for restaurant and commercial food service operations. The potatoes will be shipped in UPFE mechanical refrigerator cars and in a special fleet of 151 refrigerated boxcars that were designed by Cryo-Trans Co. Lamb-Weston will lease the cars, which feature a carbon dioxide cooling system rather than the standard mechanical refrigeration." (Pacific News, February 1987)

In December 1986, carbon dioxide CO2 cars were specified in a contract between Lamb-Weston and Union Pacific. "$100 million rail pact signed. -- Lamb-Weston Inc., the Tigard-based Pacific Northwest food-processing company, and Union Pacific Railroad have signed a $100 million, 10-year shipping contract. The contract covers shipment of Lamb-Weston frozen foods from Oregon, Washington and Idaho plants to markets in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast. Most of the shipments will be frozen potatoes to restaurants and commercial food-service operations. The shipping includes the use of 151 refrigerated cars using a carbon-dioxide cooling system instead of mechanical refrigeration, according to the announcement from the railroad's Omaha office. Ralph P. Hill, Lamb-Weston vice president in charge of distribution, declined to comment on the announcement Monday for what he said were competitive reasons. (The Oregonian, December 2, 1986)

"Related to the beer cars is the small fleet of Lamb-Weston cryogenic reefers (XTRX 200-242). These were likely rebuilt from early beer cars by the Union Pacific (formerly Missouri Pacific) Palestine, Texas, shops. Unlike any of the Coors beer cars, these cars have flat roofs, and the odd combination of 16-rib sides with 12-foot plug doors. These cars haul frozen french fries from Idaho. Cryogenic means the car uses dry ice for the coolant rather than a mechanical refrigeration unit, thus, no moving parts. The principle is the same as the better known "Cryo-Trans" cars rebuilt from Pullman-Standard cars." (Scott Chatfield, Railroad Model Journal, January 1993)

Concerning the Lamb-Weston cars: "Several years ago they performed thermal imaging of all of the cars and found most of them were poorly insulated. They sold them and the new owners re-insulated the cars and applied mechanical units." (anonymous on internet)

From STB Recordation 21115A.

(Photos of Lamb-Weston/ConAgra CAGX 9600 series cars at RRPictureArchives.net)

(Read more about Lamb-Weston)

McCain Foods

(CRYX cars)

April 1, 1988
From the Pasco, Washington, Tri-City Herald, April 6, 1988.

Tropicana (TPIX)

(Insulated boxcars; not refrigerator cars)

Tropicana TPIX 3000-3377, built in 2000-2006 by Millenium Rail in Altoona, Pennsylvania, are R670 RPL insulated boxcars with 5911 cu. ft. and 64'-4" IL, and are very similar to the Greenbrier-Gunderson cars built for CRYX and LINX. While similar, they are not the same design.

Union Pacific (ARMN and UPFE)

(not cryogenic cars)

Although their appearance is very simlar, the cars built for UPFE and ARMN were not cryogenic cars.

(Read more about the modern ARMN mechanical refrigerator cars)

(Read more about the modern UPFE mechanical refrigerator cars)

Universal Frozen Foods (1985-1994)

(CRYX cars)

Some of the Cryo-Trans cryogenic refrigerator cars were shown as being leased to Universal Foods, and were used to ship the products of its Universal Frozen Foods division and subsidiary.

Universal Frozen Foods was a specialized subsidiary of the much larger Universal Foods Corporation, its parent company. While they were technically separate legal entities, they were part of the same corporate umbrella until the mid-1990s.

Universal Foods Corporation (founded in 1882 as Meadow Springs Distilling Co. and later known as Red Star Yeast) was a massive international food conglomerate.

Universal Frozen Foods was a division created in the mid-1980s. Universal Foods entered the frozen potato products market by acquiring Idaho Frozen Foods (1985) and Rogers Walla Walla (1986), then merging them into a single subsidiary, Universal Frozen Foods.

(This matches the beginning of shipping frozen potato products by CO2 cryogenic refrigerator cars in 1985-1987.)

The Frozen Foods division was famous for its "curly fries" and helically shaped frozen potato products, primarily serving the food service and retail markets.

In 1994 Universal Foods decided to leave the commodity-heavy frozen food business to focus on flavors, colors, and yeast.

In June 1994, Universal Foods sold its Universal Frozen Foods division to ConAgra for approximately $190 million. ConAgra integrated it into its Lamb-Weston potato business.

In August 1994, Lamb-Weston, a subsidiary of ConAgra, purchased the assets of Universal Frozen Foods in Pasco and Hermiston, Oregon, and Twin Falls, Idaho. (Bellingham Herald, January 6, 1995)

Following the divestment of its frozen and commodity businesses, the parent company, Universal Foods Corporation, changed its name to Sensient Technologies Corporation in 2000, which still operates today as a major global flavor and color manufacturer.

Photos

Fallen Flags.com -- George Elwood's Fallen Flags website (scroll down to alphabetic list).

RailCarPhotos.com -- Search on reporting marks.

RRPictureArchives.net (list of reporting marks) -- A listing and links to all railcars (search by reporting mark). (Possible delayed loading due to security issues.)

Northwest Rail Pics CRYX -- Photos of a few CRYX cars (last updated in May 1999)

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