A NEW TYPE REFRIGERATOR CAR FOR JAPANESE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS

Abstract

Recently the Government Railways made new type 13 tons capacity refrigerator cars improving the fundamental parts such as body structures insulations and ice tanks. The construction of this new type car is of the steel body framing on the steel underframe. The insulation is consisted of cork plates which are wrapped up with waterproofing paper. The airspaces between the layers of insulating materials are eliminated. The outside of the car body is covered with wooden sheathing while the inside is covered with sheet iron and made water tight so as the insulation is effectually protected. Four overhead ice tanks, total capacity 2・5 tons, made of sheetiron are placed just below the roof. With this new type refrigerator car our principal expectations were the decreased ice consumption and uniform interior temperature. These expectations were verified by the comparative test trip conducted in last Augast, of this is new type car and the old type car equipped with end bunkers. In this paper the result of this test trip as well as the performance of this new type cars are described.