Refrigerator cars, also known as reefers, are rail cars used to transport perishable foods at low temperatures. They were first used in the mid-1800s and evolved over time with the use of ice and improved insulation. The advent of Styrofoam and evaporative cooling systems improved efficiency, but the use of refrigerated freight cars declined in the latter part of the 20th century with the shift to highway transportation. However, high fuel prices in the 2000s made rail transport more profitable again.
A refrigerator car, also called a reefer, is a type of rail car used to transport perishable foods at low temperatures, for preservation during shipment. The cooling of a refrigerated car can be done by ordinary ice, dry ice or mechanical cooling systems. They differ from rail cars that are insulated or ventilated, such as those used to transport fruit, because those cars do not have a refrigeration system. There is little historical disagreement as to who was the first to invent and use a car refrigerator, but they are known to have been in use to one extent or another since the mid-1800s, long before home refrigeration as we know it. was available.
Ice was the preferred method of cooling used in the refrigerator car for many decades after its initial use. Many different car designs were used as this technology evolved and improved. One method that soon became obsolete was “top freezing,” or placing a layer of ice on top of a refrigerator car carrying produce. The crushed ice added a great deal of weight to the car, and when it was discovered that the ice was only maintaining internal temperatures, rather than lowering them, this practice was largely discontinued.
Insulating a car fridge proved to be a technical challenge in itself. Inexpensive insulating materials tend to deteriorate, losing their efficiency and contaminating the car and its cargo with unpleasant odours. Higher quality insulators, such as cork, were too expensive to be profitable. In this and other ways, refrigerated cargo transportation was an example of a great idea that could not be applied to its full extent for a long time, due to a lack of technology.
After World War II, the availability of Styrofoam and other efficient insulators represented a significant advance for the refrigerator car. The advent of evaporative cooling systems, much like our current air conditioners, meant that a virtual army of workers was no longer needed to re-freeze cargo from time to time. This also reduced costs significantly.
The use of refrigerated freight cars declined precipitously in the latter part of the 20th century, as the transportation of perishable goods began to shift from rail to highway. 18-wheeler trucking became popular as mechanical refrigeration became more efficient and easier to incorporate into trailers used for road hauling. A shift in the other direction began to occur in the 2000s, as high fuel prices made it more profitable to use rail transport again.
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