Lionel Milk Cars vs. the Prototype

I think the tanks were probably like big thermos bottles. Don't really see any other way. Probably wrong though so hopefully somebody else will help out.

A link to a writeup on the Lionel site. Forgot to mention before, the Lionel milk cars have passenger trucks so they could be run at the head of passenger trains (more speed for quicker arrival to destination). Sounds like the tanks were insulated.

http://lionelllc.wordpress.com...ar-friday-milk-cars/

Cars used for Bulk Milk shipments had either glass lined or stainless steel tanks within the car. They were considered to be insulated . There were both 40 foot cars like the Lionel Model as well as 50 foot cars. The prototype cars had passenger type trucks. Milk trains were operated usually as a passenger train even though the only passenger car in the consist might have been a crew rider at the trains end.

Milk from the Vermont milkshed shipped to either Boston or New York Markets. Milk from the New York Milkshed shipped to New York or New Jersey Points. Milk from Pennsylvania Milkshed generally went to Philadelphia, New Jersey Points and Long Island.

At one point, the New York Central had a milk train which ran from the west into New Yorks West Side Line on a very fast Schedule. Milk was brought to New York City processing dairies from as far west as Indiana. Bulk milk shipments in the northeast lasted into the late 1960's . In Fact 1955 was Boston and Maines peak year for these shipments and the railroad was still acquiring these type of cars at this time. Hoods and Whiting cars would be in B&M Trains headed to Boston while Bordens cars could be found in Rutland Trains on there way to New York City.

John

In the prototype, these cars were not iced.

At one point, Bordens removed the wood sheating and the roofs of their cars and covered the tanks with steel sheating creating what became known as the "Butterdish" cars

In the model, the roof is removable so you can see the details of the tanks