Operating Fans in Cars of Produce after Arrival at Terminal Markets

Excerpts from the report: One of the weak links in the movement of fruits and vegetables from the producer to the consumer has been the general failure to operate refrigerator car fans after arrival of the cars at terminal markets. During transit the fans are operated by rotation of the car wheels. However, cars (either full or partly unloaded) are frequently held on track for periods up to several days because of holidays, weekends, insufficient demand or other market conditions. This results in a commodity temperature rise in the top layers of iced cars during warm weather, and may result in chilling or freezing in the bottom layers during cold weather or excessively high temperatures in top layers, in cars under heater service. Tests were conducted in 1954, 1956, and 1957 to determine the effectiveness of operating permanently installed fans in cars in order to maintain desirable temperatures in perishable fruits and vegetables while the cars stand on track at terminal markets. Operating such fans helps avoid excessively high temperatures in the top or dangerously low temperatures at the bottom of the load. The tests were made both on iced and heated cars. Continuing operation of the fans by use of auxiliary motors after the cars arrived at destination improved commodity temperatures under both these classes of service.