CR on the Southern Secondary

A friend of mine went through some old pictures, and found this one of two CSX boxcars on the siding for the US Navy Earle Railroad.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/D5WgaiTu4FLTwAaJ9

There’s something about this I find to be rather strange though.

1. What’s in these boxcars?

2. These boxcars are kinda weird. Here’s a description I found of them on rrpicture archives.

“Bunkerless refrigerator car with or without ventilating devices and with or without device for attaching portable heaters. Constructed with insulation in side ends, floor and roof to meet maximum UA factor requirement of 250 BTU/F/Hour for 50 foot cars and 300 BTU/F/Hour for 60 foot cars. Effective for cars ordered new after March 1, 1984.
AAR Type: R400”

So it’s a partially insulated boxcar with the option of being heated and it appears to be bringing something to the US Navy. What would they need to move by rail that would need to be refrigerated or heated?

Or maybe just kept from getting hot? How about propellant. Remember the IOWA explosion? It was blamed on improperly stored propellant charges, which had sat for years in storage which was getting cooked from sunlight on the container.

@CharlieL Have not heard of the IOWA explosion. Will look it up.

Hmm. So far I haven’t heard anything on SA31. No call ins. Did hear a Lined and Locked normal call but I’m unsure if that was on Coast Line. The radio feed I’m listening to gets the NJT Newark Division and Northeast Corridor frequencies.

Perhaps they have the day off?

It’s been an hour and still nothing on SA31.

I think at this point it’s safe to assume they won’t be running today.

There is nothing weird about them, they are just insulated boxcars. They are commonly used for food, but really anything that would be damaged by the elements in a normal boxcar. There was a large Best Foods/CPC warehouse in Ridgefield NJ that got large cuts of these cars.

From the Cryo-Trans website: (Not the same car, but same principle)
"CTI’s 68’ Insulated railcar is manufactured with high density insulation and is specially designed for temperature-sensitive commodities. The cars do not have mechanical refrigeration, they are designed to protect commodities from freeze and reduce temperature fluctuations in transit."

@cr9617 I know about insulated cars. I just haven’t heard of one that’s only insulated at the ends and has the option for onboard heating. Seems refrigerated cars are more commonly used now than cars with insulation but no refrigeration or heating equipment on board.

Have heard nothing on SA31 so far. They should’ve called in by now...

Permission on Church 3:41 PM

17 cars. Power unknown.

Permission to open up 3:58 pm

Lined and Locked normal 4:36 Pm

CSX 4405, CSX 4451 with 17 lumber, approaching Eatontown at 5:10 in the pm. No LRS box this week, she took a free ride down & back last week. Interesting graffiti on the box car in the 12th spot...

Can see a light in the distance at Extech. SA31 should be here soon.

RailsEast wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 5:12 pm CSX 4405, CSX 4451 with 17 lumber, approaching Eatontown at 5:10 in the pm. No LRS box this week, she took a free ride down & back last week. Interesting graffiti on the box car in the 12th spot...

Got any pictures?

Train coming through Farmingdale at 6:24 PM.

Looks like the train is gonna go through Farmingdale without stopping!