MEC French fry hauling

I leanred that MEC hauled frozen french fires out on their 2 reefers. Did the customers receive cars of potatos to make the french fries? I am looking in about the early 80's.

Details of MEC French Fry hauling seem scarce.

This business appears to have dryed up before the GRS era.

Here are some websites that may be helpful:

From MBI Publishing Company's "More Classic American Railroads".: The section on the Bangor & Aroostok which traditionally has had the potato and french dry business:

See the bottom of page 14 and the top of page 15 for more information:

http://books.google.com/books?id=m78vZ6 ... nU#PPA8,M1

Photo of McCain Foods plant in Washburn, ME:

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20061 ... 623556.jpg

Although I had never heard of the Maine Central having a large fleet if any at all of refrigerated boxcars perhaps this is what was intended.

Photo of Guilford Rail hauling McCain refrigerated trailer:

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20011 ... 725069.jpg

Photo of Canadian American Railroad hauling McCain trailers:

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20051 ... 211641.jpg

These two cars were purchased for shipping frozen french fries from the H.C. Baxter Snowflake Canning Company. The frozen french fried potato was invented by Olaf Pierson in the Hartland, Maine, Baxter plant. Primary production of french fries was at the Fryeburg plant, so these cars probably were used there. H.C. Baxter was sold to Lamb-Weston in the mid 1960's, and eventually went to Birdseye. Operations ceased at Hartland in the late 60's (I believe, but I'll check on this...), and Fryeburg continued into the 70's (again, I need to check this.). The Hartland plant is now part of Irving Tanning, and most of the buildings still exist, although the railroad is long gone.

These two reefer cars, were they MEC 1 and MEC 2? I have an N Scale #2

yes.

miketrainnut wrote:These two reefer cars, were they MEC 1 and MEC 2? I have an N Scale #2

They were both scrapped at Rigby a few years ago.