• Boston: New mechanical reefer customer?

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England

Moderators: MEC407, NHN503

  by consist
 
Last few weeks I've been seeing big cuts of BNSF mechanical refrigerator cars (with the blue icicle trim) moving east of Worcester, up to six at a time. Is there a new Boston area customer? I know the grocery distribution center in Readville gets a lot of Cryo-Trans cars, but not the ARMN or BNSF reefers. The other suspect was Agar Foods in Taunton, but they typically get just one or two cars at a time on their siding. And I've not seen a BNSF reporting mark at the Everett produce terminal since the days of the red Western Fruit Express cars, long scrapped.
There has occasionally been an icicle trim reefer restamped TILX, which I believe is always for Agar, but these recent sightings are all BNSF reporting marks.
  by fogg1703
 
Have seen both the TILX and BNSF reefers at Agar. They have also been storing loaded cars on the "main" until they are ready to be placed and the empties are pulled, and shoved beyond the siding toward Huttig. They are switched far more frequently now and I have seen upwards of 8 cars waiting to unloaded recently.
  by fogg1703
 
As a follow up there are a number of customers who take reefers in Eastern Mass.
Taunton
Agar
Americold
NE Refrigerated Terminals (MC Customer)

New Bedford
Sid Wainer
Maritime International

Readville
ABEX (former Stop & Shop)

Boston
Americold

Everett
New England Produce
  by BostonUrbEx
 
ABEX doesn't get reefers, but Preferred Freezer Services in Everett does. They get frozen fish.
  by fogg1703
 
BostonUrbEx wrote:ABEX doesn't get reefers
I stand corrected. Insulated boxcars only right?

I haven't seen a car at PFS since Eimskip left for Portland. Glad they are still getting cars.

Thanks for the updates
  by consist
 
Thanks for the info. I'm betting these are the Agar uptick traffic you mentioned.
  by fogg1703
 
As an update, a jumbo BNSF reefer spotted at Maritime International.