Camden Icing ??

[louisfols]

Anyone know of photos of these icing facilities? Did PRSL use them? What years?
Thanks
Lou

[JJMDiMunno]

What's the location on these industries? Approximate would be fine.

Mike DiMunno

[louisfols]

Wish I knew. I read somewhere that there was once a facility in Camden.
Lou

[bronxtale]

There is a track in the class yard at Pavonia refered to as the ice house track. It's to the far right if you're looking down the hump or across from and opposite the tower. There was an old conrail/trans modal engine stored there but it's been moved. I'm not sure if this is what you're refering to. Take care.

[Jerseyman]

The primary icing platform that I know about in Camden was located in Coopers Point Yard. IIRC, Bob Long has some photos of the icing operations in his collection. I know that I've seen images of men standing on an elevated platform, shoving the ice blocks into the hatches on top of the reefers, but I can't be certain Bob was the one who owned them.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

[louisfols]

Thanks-anyone have Bob Long's contact email or ?

[Jerseyman]

Lou:

I was pulling files related to Pavonia Yard and found that the Fruit Growers Express Company signed a lease with the PRR/URR for an icing track and land for the icing platform and ice house in 1924. The blueprint accompanying the lease indicates the track and platform stood just west of the 34th Street crossing. Related FGE icing platforms include one at Woodbury. The blueprint for that one shows it just west of Glassboro Road. I will have to check for any additional icing platforms. I do know that FGE operated the one at Coopers Point, based on notations in the Pavonia file. The one at Pavonia ceased operations in 1935 and the one at Coopers Point was already operating in 1947.

I hope this helps.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

[louisfols]

Thanks for info-any chance I could get copy. Will pay costs.
Lou

[pennsy]

There was a special on PBS not too long ago, showing how the ice got to the icing facility and how it got into the reefers at that time. Really labor intensive, and for the ice cutters, rather dangerous. Horses were used to pull the blocks of ice to the wagons to be transported to the icing facility. Storage facilities were usually not too far from the body of water that froze over and the blocks of ice were cut from. The blocks of ice rested on layers of straw until they were needed.

Occasionally, the ice cutters and their horses miscalculated the thickness of the ice and many an ice cutter and horse fell through the ice and into the icy waters. Then the others had to move really fast to save them.