Union Pacific Fruit Express Cars, UPFE
Index For This Page
This page was last updated on May 12, 2026.
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(Sources include a wide variety of internet searches, including current and abandoned websites at Archive.org. 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.)
UPFE Capital Rebuild Program (1989-1999)
(The post-rebuild cars of the 1990s did *not* become ARMN cars after being completed; the rebuilt cars were renumbered only.)
Beginning in mid-1989, mechanical refrigerator cars of the Union Pacific Railroad Company entered into a repair program that replaced the previous as-built Detroit Diesel refrigeration units with trailer-type Carrier-Transicold front-mount refrigeration units. Upon completion the rebuilt cars were repainted and renumbered into various series ranging from UPFE 461401 through 469425 (8,025 potential numbers; not all numbers used). Official Railway Equipment Registers of the period accurately represent the introduction of these series, which were often filled over succeeding months.
The rebuild program ended in 1999 and Union Pacific (and other railroads and private shipper companies) began using new-build, super-insulated, longer and wider cars with high-cubic capacity, known as Plate F cars, with nose-mounted highway trailer-type refrigeration units.
The first new Plate F cars (longer, wider, better insulated) began arriving in May 1998.
[Photo caption] "The look of the future in refrigerated transport by rail. Mechanical reefer UPFE 22036 pauses at Council Bluffs, Iowa, May 28, 1998, on its first run west. Assigned to Class R110-21, the 22036, manufactured by Trinity Railcar, features a corrosion resistant, seamless aerodynamic fiberglass composite carbody and insulated plug doors with an externally-mounted Thermo King refrigerator unit. The revolutionary design allows higher payload, larger volume and superior thermal insulation. The car's steel underframe with end of car cushioning gives a high strength floor with a load capacity of 2,000 psi. Union Pacific's fleet of these unusual cars now approaches 100, as UPFE 23031 was seen in early February [1999] at Cheyenne. Abandoning the traditional orange body color, the car is yellow with a black underframe. (Photo of UPFE 22036, UPHS The Streamliner, Volume 13, Number 2, Spring 1999, page 5, reported by George R. Cockle)
(The UPFE-to-ARMN capital rebuild program began in 2001. By March 2008, there were hundreds of the older 57-foot R-70 mecahnical refrigerator cars stored out-of-service. These unrebuilt cars were held in storage until they were sold for salvage and scrapped.)
(Carl Shaver compiled a list and shared it on Trainorders.com on February 4, 2002. His list is presented below, reformatted and sorted by year, old number series and new number series.)
(A review of the old number series shows that there were 10,000 numbers. A similar review of the new rebuilt numbers shows that there were 7,700 numbers. Meaning that at least 2,300 cars were scrapped; most assuredly more than that were scrapped.)
Old UPFE/SPFE to New UPFE; Sorted by Year
| Year Renumbered |
New Reporting Mark |
New Number Series |
Class | Old Reporting Mark |
Old Number Series |
| 1989 | UPFE | 461401-461490 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1990 | UPFE | 461505-461676 | R-70-21 | UPFE/PFE | 458101-458700 |
| 1990 | UPFE | 461701-461788 | R-70-23 | UPFE | 459401-459500 |
| 1990 | UPFE | 461801-461937 | R-70-25 | UPFE | 460101-460700 |
| 1991 | UPFE | 462001-462383 | R-70-25 | UPFE | 460101-460700 |
| 1991 | UPFE | 462501-462517 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1992 | UPFE | 462600-462724 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1992 | UPFE | 462800-462974 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1993 | UPFE | 463001-463050 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1993 | UPFE | 463075-463173 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1993 | UPFE | 463201-463211 | R-70-19 | UPFE/UPRX/PFE | 456501-456700 |
| 1994 | UPFE | 464001 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1994 | UPFE | 464002-464059 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1994 | UPFE | 464100-464340 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1995 | UPFE | 465001-465301 | R-70-20 | UPFE/PFE | 457501-458100 |
| 1996 | UPFE | 466001-466175 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1996 | UPFE | 466200-466332 | R-70-17 | UPFE/PFE | 455501-456000 |
| 1997 | UPFE | 467001-467075 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1997 | UPFE | 467080-467159 | R-70-17 | UPFE/PFE | 455501-456000 |
| 1997 | UPFE | 467170-467316 | R-70-19 | UPFE/UPRX/PFE | 456501-456700 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468001-468093 | R-70-18 | SPFE/PFE | 456001-456250 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468125-468225 | R-70-18 | SPFE/PFE | 456251-456500 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468250-468271 | R-70-19 | SPFE/PFE | 456501-456900 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468300-468346 | R-70-20 | SPFE/PFE | 456901-457500 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468401-468412 | R-70-26 | UPFE | 461001-461100 |
| 1999 | UPFE | 469001-469100 | R-70-20 | SPFE/PFE | 456901-457500 |
Old UPFE/SPFE to New UPFE; Sorted by Old Number Series
| Year Renumbered |
New Reporting Mark |
New Number Series |
Class | Old Reporting Mark |
Old Number Series |
| 1989 | UPFE | 461401-461490 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1992 | UPFE | 462600-462724 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1993 | UPFE | 463001-463050 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1994 | UPFE | 464001 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1994 | UPFE | 464002-464059 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1991 | UPFE | 462501-462517 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1992 | UPFE | 462800-462974 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1993 | UPFE | 463075-463173 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1994 | UPFE | 464100-464340 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1996 | UPFE | 466001-466175 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1997 | UPFE | 467001-467075 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1996 | UPFE | 466200-466332 | R-70-17 | UPFE/PFE | 455501-456000 |
| 1997 | UPFE | 467080-467159 | R-70-17 | UPFE/PFE | 455501-456000 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468001-468093 | R-70-18 | SPFE/PFE | 456001-456250 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468125-468225 | R-70-18 | SPFE/PFE | 456251-456500 |
| 1993 | UPFE | 463201-463211 | R-70-19 | UPFE/UPRX/PFE | 456501-456700 |
| 1997 | UPFE | 467170-467316 | R-70-19 | UPFE/UPRX/PFE | 456501-456700 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468250-468271 | R-70-19 | SPFE/PFE | 456501-456900 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468300-468346 | R-70-20 | SPFE/PFE | 456901-457500 |
| 1999 | UPFE | 469001-469100 | R-70-20 | SPFE/PFE | 456901-457500 |
| 1995 | UPFE | 465001-465301 | R-70-20 | UPFE/PFE | 457501-458100 |
| 1990 | UPFE | 461505-461676 | R-70-21 | UPFE/PFE | 458101-458700 |
| 1990 | UPFE | 461701-461788 | R-70-23 | UPFE | 459401-459500 |
| 1990 | UPFE | 461801-461937 | R-70-25 | UPFE | 460101-460700 |
| 1991 | UPFE | 462001-462383 | R-70-25 | UPFE | 460101-460700 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468401-468412 | R-70-26 | UPFE | 461001-461100 |
Old UPFE/SPFE to New UPFE; Sorted by New Number Series
| Year Renumbered |
New Reporting Mark |
New Number Series |
Class | Old Reporting Mark |
Old Number Series |
| 1989 | UPFE | 461401-461490 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1990 | UPFE | 461505-461676 | R-70-21 | UPFE/PFE | 458101-458700 |
| 1990 | UPFE | 461701-461788 | R-70-23 | UPFE | 459401-459500 |
| 1990 | UPFE | 461801-461937 | R-70-25 | UPFE | 460101-460700 |
| 1991 | UPFE | 462001-462383 | R-70-25 | UPFE | 460101-460700 |
| 1991 | UPFE | 462501-462517 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1992 | UPFE | 462600-462724 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1992 | UPFE | 462800-462974 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1993 | UPFE | 463001-463050 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1993 | UPFE | 463075-463173 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1993 | UPFE | 463201-463211 | R-70-19 | UPFE/UPRX/PFE | 456501-456700 |
| 1994 | UPFE | 464001 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1994 | UPFE | 464002-464059 | R-70-15 | UPFE/PFE | 452001-452750 |
| 1994 | UPFE | 464100-464340 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1995 | UPFE | 465001-465301 | R-70-20 | UPFE/PFE | 457501-458100 |
| 1996 | UPFE | 466001-466175 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1996 | UPFE | 466200-466332 | R-70-17 | UPFE/PFE | 455501-456000 |
| 1997 | UPFE | 467001-467075 | R-70-16 | UPFE/PFE | 454501-455500 |
| 1997 | UPFE | 467080-467159 | R-70-17 | UPFE/PFE | 455501-456000 |
| 1997 | UPFE | 467170-467316 | R-70-19 | UPFE/UPRX/PFE | 456501-456700 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468001-468093 | R-70-18 | SPFE/PFE | 456001-456250 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468125-468225 | R-70-18 | SPFE/PFE | 456251-456500 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468250-468271 | R-70-19 | SPFE/PFE | 456501-456900 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468300-468346 | R-70-20 | SPFE/PFE | 456901-457500 |
| 1998 | UPFE | 468401-468412 | R-70-26 | UPFE | 461001-461100 |
| 1999 | UPFE | 469001-469100 | R-70-20 | SPFE/PFE | 456901-457500 |
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