ARL002500

Armstrong Refrigerator Line No. 2500 and 2501 Refrigerator Cars

Specifications:

• Outside Length: 37'
• Capacity: 60,000 lbs, 300 apple barrels

History

These were a pair of privately owned refrigerator cars built for Edward E. Armstrong, an apple grower was from a long-established family of farmers in the Falmouth area. He was an early investor in expanding the apple industry with a brick fruit warehouse at Falmouth across from the Falmouth Station. Armstrong ordered this pair of of 37 foot refrigerator cars in 1905 intended for fruit and dairy service. They were built at Rhodes, Curry & Co. and delivered in Amherst in August 1905. Each had a 60,000 pound capacity and could hold 300 apples barrels. They were painted light blue and lettered for the "Armstrong Refrigerator Line" on one end with a diamond shield and "Owned by E.E. Armstrong, Falmouth N.S." lettered on the other. The purchase of the DAR by Canadian Pacific in 1912 brought the large CPR fleet of refrigerated cars onto the DAR system which made it unneccessary for Armstrong to continue to expand his own little fleet of reefers.

Gallery

• 

  Receipt for refrigerator cars No. 2500 and 2501, ordered from Rhodes, Curry & Co. by Edward E. Armstrong, Aug. 17.1905.

• 

  Photograph of custom refrigerator car No. 2500 made for Edward E. Armstrong, circa 1905.

• 

  Refrigerator car No. 2501, made for Edward E. Armstrong, circa November 1906.

• 

  Falmouth Station with the E. E. Armstrong Apple Warehouse and Armstrong's two refrigerator cars Nos. 2500 and 2501, circa 1906.

• 

  E. E. Armstrong Apple Warehouse in Falmouth with his refrigerator cars Nos. 2500 and 2501 circa 1906 and same location in 2022.

• 

  DAR westbound freight at Falmouth Station with a brakeman on E. E. Armstrong's refrigerator car No. 2500, circa 1910.

External Links

Chris Gertridge, Facebook Post about E.E. Armstrong fruit cars, Octooer 20, 2022