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1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car
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Author:  Richard W. [ Mon Sep 03, 2012 2:47 pm ]
Post subject:  1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

Interesting film from 1952 showing all the steps in building a steel refrigerator car from the ground up. Was filmed at the Despatch Shops Inc. in East Rochester, NY and shows a MDT refrigerator car.

go to http://origin.peg.tv/player/index/T01799?video=46789 then click on "ER Historical Shows" and then "A Day at the Car Shops". Interesting on how they make it look like childs play.

Richard Wilkens

Author:  PCook [ Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

That film is a gem, especially the metal forming and stamping operations. Imagine how much fault would be found with the machinery and hazards in that shop nowadays!

PC

Author:  filmteknik [ Mon Sep 03, 2012 5:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

Not when the shop is in Mexico. :(

Author:  DBH [ Mon Sep 03, 2012 5:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

Great movie, railway car design & building has sure changed since 1951.

Dave Huffman

Author:  FLO [ Sun Feb 24, 2013 1:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

I notice The Oscars are tomorrow so I'll cast my vote for this film (A Day at the Car Shops) as best picture.

Author:  sbhunterca [ Sun Feb 24, 2013 8:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

Quote:
That film is a gem, especially the metal forming and stamping operations. Imagine how much fault would be found with the machinery and hazards in that shop nowadays!


Very true, but for a heavy industrial shop sixty years ago, it's actually a pretty safe work environment, safer than a few shops I've worked in far more recently.

Everything is clean and tidy, with adequate working space, there seems to be decent lighting, short sleeves, safety goggles, and other safety rules are obviously enforced.

Most of the machines are electric or hydraulic, but the belt driven machinery has adequate guarding to protect the workers. Even the table saw has a rudimentary guard that at least reminds the operator of the spinning blade's location.

The controls on the presses wouldn't be allowed today but perhaps the risk increases the worker's awareness and safety ethic. In one of my previous workplaces an operator managed to lose half of her hand on a well- guarded canning machine with two handed start, so it's obvious even "foolproof" safety devices can lull workers into a false sense of security.

Of course the sight of a machinist with his hand on the ways of a big lathe near the beginning of the film, right under the spinning chuck, gave me the willies!

A quick question if I may- have any of those steel MDT reefers survived, either preserved or derelict?

Thanks for posting this!

Steve Hunter

Author:  Alexander D. Mitchell IV [ Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

sbhunterca wrote:
A quick question if I may- have any of those steel MDT reefers survived, either preserved or derelict?


I believe a few survive hither and yon--I know of a couple in a side yard in the vicinity of the Verde Canyon RR, in plain sight of a major highway, owned by an obvious railfan. Unpainted but fairly well preserved in "high desert" air.....

Author:  Les Beckman [ Sun Feb 24, 2013 4:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

sbhunterca wrote:
Quote:


A quick question if I may- have any of those steel MDT reefers survived, either preserved or derelict?



Steve Hunter


Steve -

Two MDT steel ice bunker refrigerator cars survive at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, Indiana. They are MDT #13385 and MDT #14070, both donated to the museum by MDT. If you check out my photo on the recent "Getting to Know Our Fellow RYPN-ers" thread, you will get a photo of my working on cleaning the road grime off of MDT #13385 (modesty keeps me from resubmitting the photo here on this new thread). BTW, neither of our steel reefers was actually built by MDT at their Despatch Shops. Perhaps some of the other surviving MDT cars were actually built there.

Les

Author:  Les Beckman [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 4:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

Steve -

I found a list I had of existing steel ice-bunker refrigerator cars and here are the other MDT cars that I know of:

#12549 at the Rochester & Genessee Valley Railroad Museum in Henrietta, NY

#13715 at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD

#13755 at the Fulton County Museum in Rochester, IN

#14053 at the Rochester & Genessee Valley Railroad Museum in Henrietta, NY


There may be others.

Les

Author:  sbhunterca [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 6:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

Thanks, Les! It's good to see some of these reefers preserved.

Steve

Author:  John Redden [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 9:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 1952 Film on Building A Refrigerator Car

Les Beckman[quote="Les Beckman wrote:
Steve -

I found a list I had of existing steel ice-bunker refrigerator cars and here are the other MDT cars that I know of:

#12549 at the Rochester & Genessee Valley Railroad Museum in Henrietta, NY

#13715 at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD

#13755 at the Fulton County Museum in Rochester, IN

#14053 at the Rochester & Genessee Valley Railroad Museum in Henrietta, NY


There may be others.

Perhaps some of the other surviving MDT cars were actually built there.

Les


The MDT 12549 was indeed built at Despatch Shops, in 1954.

Also, MDT 14053 (Pacific Car & Foundry, 1958) is used as a display car, with photos and other memorabilia from East Rochester, primarily from the Shops. Both DSI and the village of East Rochester have been quite generous, and helpful with donations and information. That video is among the many displays in the 14053, and DVD copies are for sale through the Store. If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy, please feel free to PM me.

John Redden
R&GV RR Museum

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