Union Pacific Fruit Express Cars, UPFE
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This page was last updated on January 10, 2026.
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(These are incomplete research notes. Comment or correction is most welcome.)
UPFE Refrigerator Cars
Pacific Fruit Express was formed on December 7, 1906, as a joint UP/SP company to operate refrigerator cars. The company grew to become the largest railroad refrigerator "reefer" company in the nation.
"Pacific Fruit Express -- Continuing its efforts to meet the requirements of shippers of perishable freight for large-capacity mechanical refrigerator cars, Pacific Fruit Express Co. in 1968 acquired 400 additional 70-ton temperature-control cars. Acquisition of these units raised the company's fleet of mechanical refrigerator cars above its ownership of conventional ice-bunker cars for the first time. Orders have been placed for 1,200 additional cars for delivery in the first half of 1969-200 cars to be purchased by the company and 1,000 cars to be leased from the parent companies (500 each from Union Pacific and Southern Pacific). Delivery of these new units in 1969 will bring the company's fleet of mechanical refrigerator cars to almost 10,700, or more than half the total in the nation." (Union Pacific 1968 Annual Report)
Union Pacific (UP) and Southern Pacific (SP) officially split the assets of their joint Pacific Fruit Express (PFE) venture on April 1, 1978, dissolving the partnership and dividing the remaining refrigerated cars between the two railroads, with SP retaining the PFE name for its portion.
Even before the split, cars were marked with SPFE (Southern Pacific Fruit Express) or UPFE (Union Pacific Fruit Express) to show ownership, with these markings appearing on new cars from the early 1970s.
The UPFE and SPFE reporting marks began appearing in the period between January and April 1971.
Following the 1982 control of Missouri Pacific, and after Missouri Pacific was formally being merged into UP on January 1, 1997, Union Pacific acquired Missouri Pacific's fleet or refrigerator cars, many of which used the ARMN reporting mark.
Union Pacific controlled Southern Pacific after 1996 and formally merged with the company in February 1, 1998. With SP, Union Pacific acquired the SP's refrigerator car fleet, which used the SPFE reporting mark.
At about this same time, UP began rebuilding their mechanical refrigerator cars by replacing the as-built Detroit Diesel refrigeration units with Carrier-Transicold truck trailer type refrigeration unit.
By 2002, Union Pacific combined all reefer operations under the into the ARMN, with the traditional orange UPFE reefers being replaced with the bright white with the removable cooling units within a few years.
The large Bailey Yard in North Platte was the last operational center of UPFE operations on Union Pacific. The UPFE crew in North Platte serviced the UPFE cars as they traveled through the North Platte terminal, mainly to add fuel to the fuel tanks, with some minor maintenance as needed. All across the UP system, the remaining UPFE and all ARMN reefers were serviced by contractors.
End of an era. On September 1, 2022 the Union Pacific abolished the "Union Pacific Fruit Express" company. The last UPFE operational support unit was a 14-man crew in the North Platte yard.
After the change in September 2022, the UPFE employees in North Platte are now employees of the Union Pacific and assigned to the North Platte Car Department. These men will continue to do service work on ARMN reefers as needed, as part of maintaining all of the freights cars as they pass through North Platte. As a side note, the UPFE reefer 458266, which is part of the railroad display in North Platte's Cody Park, is reported as being the last use of UPFE equipment in a shipment from Pocatello, Idaho, before all shipments were handled by ARMN equipment.
Post-1978 Roster Listing
| UPFE Number |
Starting Number |
Ending Number |
Class |
| UPFE | 450001 | 450250 | R-70-13 |
| UPFE | 450751 | 451000 | R-70-13 |
| UPFE | 451501 | 452000 | R-70-14 |
| UPFE | 452001 | 452750 | R-70-15 |
| UPFE | 454501 | 455500 | R-70-16 |
| UPFE | 455501 | 4560T0 | R-70-17 |
| UPFE | 451601 | 458100 | R-70-20 |
| UPFE | 458101 | 458700 | R-70-21 |
| UPFE | 460101 | 460700 | R-70-25 |
Ron Hawkins wrote: "UPFE series 450001-450250; from PFE series 450001-450250, built by Pacific Car & Foundry. PFE/UPFE class R-70-13."
Ron Hawkins wrote: "UPFE series 450751-451000; from PFE series 450751-451000 built by Pacific Car & Foundry. PFE/UPFE class R-70-13."
Ron Hawkins wrote: "UPFE series 452001-452750; from PFE series 452001-452750 built by Pacific Car & Foundry, 1965. PFE/UPFE class R-70-15.
UPFE cars numbered 461000 and above is either secondhand or "rehabilitated" from previous series.
Secondhand cars came from both ARMN (American Refrigerator Transit) and BAR, and are in the 461000 series, for the most part.
Cars in the 462000s through 469000s are rehabilitated from older UPFE cars. The best way to determine the series is to compare the R-70-xx classifications (which didn't change). Some of the highest-numbered series were rebuilt from ex SPFE cars, obtained in the merger with SP.
1986
"San Luis Central RR - acquired 140 used ex-Southern Pacific / Pacific Fruit Express (SPFE) mechanical refrigerator cars of the R-70-19 class. SLC numbers 351002-351141 (same numbers as SPFE)." -- David G. Casdorph. (FCJ #17-18, 1986, page 4)
Beginning in mid-1989, mechanical refrigerator cars of the Union Pacific Railroad Company were given program repairs, and were repainted and renumbered into various series ranging from UPFE 461401 through 469425. Equipment Registers accurately represent the introduction of these series, which were often filled over succeeding months. Origins of individual series are shown below.
July 1989
The following comes from Freight Cars Journal,
Volume 6, Number 3, Issue 31, July 28, 1989, page 9:
Union Pacific has acquired a number of mechanical refrigerator cars from the Bangor & Aroostok, reportedly in exchange for four locomotives:
UPFE 461201-461273 (class R70-28): from BAR 150-249
UPFE 461301-461344 (class R70-29): from BAR 250-299
UPFE 461351-461391 (class R70-30): from BAR 11000-11049
1993
UPFE 463001-463059; 59 RPL mechanical refrigerator cars rebuilt and renumbered from UPFE 452001-462750 in 1993. UP Class R-70-15. (FCJ #61, 1994, page 15)
1993
UPFE 463075 463249; 175 RPL refrigerator cars rebuilt and renumbered from UPFE 454501-455500 in 1993. UP Class R-70-16. (FCJ #61, 1994, page 17)
1998
In May 1998, and continuing through at least February 1999, UP was receiving new refrigerator cars with UPFE reporting marks, built Trinity Railcar.
"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 R-110-21, the 22036, manufactured by Trinity Railcar, features a corrosion resistant, seamless aerodynamic fiberglass composite body and insulated plug doors with an externally-mounted Thermo King reefer 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 at Cheyenne. Abandoning the traditional reefer orange, the car is yellow with a black underframe. The new Trinity Railcar product line also offers composite box cars in sizes ranging from 50 feet to 80 feet. long in Plate C and Plate F Cars, with capacity ranging from 4,500 to 7,900 cubic feet. One wonders if UP will embrace this new technology as well." (UPHS The Streamliner, Volume 13, Number 2, Spring 1999, page 5)
Robert Pisani wrote: "UPFE series 23000-23199, built by Trinity, April 1998 to February 1999. UP class R-110-21."
Fifty of these newer UPFE cars, built in 1999, were leased from Trinity Industries, and were returned to Trinity in 2006. They were renumbered into the Trinity Leasing (TILX) fleet and given TILX numbers 720001-720050 by 2008.
Colin Reinhart wrote: "TILX series 720001-720050 from UPFE series 23000-23049 built by Trinity, April 1998 to February 1999. UP class R-110-21."
Ex SPFE Refrigerator Cars
Ron Hawkins wrote: "UPFE series 25000-25399; from Golden West (VCY) series 25000-25399; from SPFE series 459501-460100, built by Pacific Car & Foundry.
Ex FGE Refrigerator Cars
The higher-numbered UPFE refrigerator cars are not ex Fruit growers Express (FGE). The FGMR cars obtained in the late 1990s were just relettered UPFE without being renumbered (they're in the 12000 series).
More ex FGMR cars were obtained in 2001, and were relettered ARMH. Four-digit numbers are ex SFLC (same numbers), five-digit numbers are ex BNFE (same numbers). These numbers are derived from their FGMR numbers, same as the BNFE numbers; SFLC dropped the first digit.
Still more ex FGMR cars came to UP in late 2001, from BNFE, SFLC, and WC. Those cars have kept their original reporting marks until they are rebuilt into the new "Chilled Express" cars (ARMN 991000 series).
UPRX Reporting Mark (1978-1980)
Bob Chaparo wrote on January 21, 2023.
The "UPRX" reporting mark (Union Pacific Fruit Express Co.) was temporary to distinguish former PFE cars. Some of UP's cars, acquired before the split and marked "UPFE", also received the temporary UPRX reporting mark. This reporting mark lasted less than two years as by 1980 none were listed in the Equipment Register, however, in was officially eliminated in July 1984, according to Ian Cranstone. Ian has a website that tracks these details.
Nakina.net (reporting marks database) reports that the UPRX reporting mark was added in January 1978 by Union Pacific Express, and again in January 1980, but was eliminated in July 1984.
Dick Harley filled in some details in an email dated June 26, 2024.
Beginning with the R-70-13 class mechanical reefers in 1963, Pacific Fruit Express (PFE) no longer bought their own cars - except the R-70-19 class. The cars were purchased by SP and UP and leased to PFE for operation. In 1971, the government changed the rules on reporting marks, such that the reporting marks needed to reflect the actual owner of the car. At that time, SP and UP created the SPFE and UPFE reporting marks, and they were first used on new R-70-24 and R-70-25 reefers in 1971. As older SP and UP owned cars were repainted or patched, they also received the SPFE or UPFE reporting marks to indicate who actually owned the cars.
PFE as a jointly owned company (by SP and UP) was dissolved in 1978, and the assets were split between SP and UP. SP chose to keep PFE alive as a company, subsidiary to SP. So cars lettered for PFE that went to SP kept their PFE reporting marks. UP created Union Pacific Fruit Express Company (UPFE) as a private company with reporting marks UPRX for their newly acquired cars.
I have scans of all of the ORER pages for PFE, SPFE, UPFE and UPRX from October 1977 (before UPRX started) through October 1984 (no more UPRX). There are some sizable changes in numbers of cars in the beginning of UPRX, both up and down. May have something to do with how fast cars received the UPRX mark. May be just accounting errors as clerks tried to get the records straight - or cars were to be scrapped and then not scrapped.
So, UPRX existed from 1978 to 1984. I suspect that by 1984 all of the ice reefers and older mechanical reefers were retired, but I have not verified that. And, I suspect that far more ice reefers received UPRX marks than mechanical reefers, but again not verified. I would doubt that any cars had their reporting marks changed from UPFE to UPRX, but don't know for sure.
ARMN (ex UPFE, ex SPFE)
Union Pacific began using the ARMN reporting mark in about 2001-2002. The reporting mark had been inactive since the merger with Missouri Pacific.
(Read more about Union Pacific and its ARMN refrigerator cars)
There were essentially no UPFE cars after 2007, meaning that the UPFE to ARMN capital rebuild program was completed by that time. Not all UPFE cars were rebuilt. There were reports that several UPFE cars were scrapped instead of being rebuilt.
Capital Rebuild Program (1989-1999)
Carl Shaver wrote on Trainorders.com on February 14, 2002.
Beginning in mid-1989, mechanical refrigerator cars of the Union Pacific Railroad Company were given program repairs, and were repainted and renumbered into various series ranging from UPFE 461401 through 469425. Equipment Registers accurately represent the introduction of these series, which were often filled over succeeding months.
(Carl Shaver's list is presented below, reformatted and sorted by year, old number series and new number series.)
(The UPFE to ARMN capital rebuild program began in 2001.)
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 |
UPFE Photos
Photos of UPFE cars at RailcarPhotos.com
Photos of UPFE cars at RRPictureArchives.net
PFE Freight Car Data (Dick Harley)
Dick Harley has made available on his SmugMug online image albums, a collection of listings and data for the Pacific Fruit Express freight car fleet.
PFE Freight Car Specialties Listings
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