On this date in 1910, an article in the Hope Pioneer included reflections of the late James D. Layng. A railroad executive for almost fifty years, Layng said his greatest regret was a sin of omission. He said the railroads had failed to embrace new technology. Early in his career a man had approached him with an idea for a refrigerated car. Layng encouraged him by loaning him a railroad car. The renovated car did, indeed, keep meat, produce, and dairy products fresh. But the railroads refused to adopt this innovation.
In the 1800s, herds of cattle were driven as far as twelve hundred miles to railheads in locations like Kansas City, Abilene, and Dodge City. The cows were then transported by rail “on the hoof” to slaughterhouses. This system was extremely inefficient. Cattle lost weight during the long drives, and many died during the drives or on the railroad journey. And with sixty percent of a cow inedible, a great deal of money was spent transporting the waste.
The system was inefficient, but the railroads had a lot invested in stock cars, stock pens, and feedlots. A switch to refrigerated cars would make those investments worthless. But their efforts to block the use of refrigeration started to unravel in the 1860s when meat packing companies like Armour and Swift began developing their own refrigerated cars.
However, the technology was not an immediate success. The first cars simply put meat into bins filled with ice. This resulted in discoloration and poor taste. The next method was to suspend the carcasses over the bins of ice. Unfortunately, the carcasses tended to sway as the train entered a curve. This caused several derailments. Next, they tried heavily insulated rail cars, with the meat packed on the bottom of the car with an ice compartment above. This allowed cold air to sink naturally and keep the meat fresh while avoiding the problem of derailments.
North Dakotan benefitted from the development of the refrigerated cars as the selection of food in the grocery stores reflected the ability to ship perishables long distances.
As for railroad executive James Layng, he regretted that the railroads had resisted refrigeration, but he also predicted that similar events would occur in the future as railroad officials refused to embrace change.
Dakota Datebook written by Carole Butcher
Sources:
Hope Pioneer. “Greatest Sin of Omission Committed by Railroads.” Hope ND. 3/17/1910. Page 4.
History Magazine. “The Impact of Refrigeration.” https://www.history-magazine.com/refrig.html Accessed 2/11/2020.
American Rails. “Refrigerator Car (Reefer). https://www.american-rails.com/reefers.html Accessed 2/11/2020.
