The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-25
RAILROAD NEWS.
Test to Be Made of the New
Refrigerating Process
Santa Fe Car to Go on a Trial
Trip Saturday.
MUCH DEPENDS ON IT
MayRevOlutiOnize Refrigeration
of Products in Transit.
Power For New Process Fur
nished by Axle Motion.

a system of refrigeration, which will
revolutionize the art of preserving
fruits, meats and other perishable goods
while in transit on a railroad, has been
perfected 1t is the work of Mr.. c. c.
Palmer. of Chicago, and consists in
equipping refrigerator cars with ap-
paratus, which will produce a desired
degree Of cold without the use of ice. In
other words each refrigerator car will
have within itself a plant similar TO an
artificial ice manufacturing plant.
For the past several days Mr.. Palm
er, who represents a party of eastern
capitalists who intend pushing his in
vention, has been in Topeka superin-
tending the placing of his apparatus in
one of the Santa Fe refrigerator cars.
The work has been done at the shops,
and the car equipped with the invention
was run out last evening on a short
trial trip.
The first real trial trip of the car
to prove whether the invention is all
that is claimed for it will be made on
Saturday. Under the supervision of
Mr.. Palmer, a car load of dressed beef
viii be taken from Kansas City to Chi
cagO, and possibly a return trip will be
made. After this trial several trips
from California to the east, carrying
fruit, will probably be made, so as to
success, the Santa Fe road will probably
order a number of refrigerator cars
equipped, and place them in daily SER
vice on the line. Other roads are watch
ing the experiment with interest.
The advantage of the invention lies
in the fact that it is not necessary to
ice the car. The refrigerating apparat-
us does the work and keeps the temper
allure of the car at just the proper
point. The large bulky boxes, which
are necessary in the refrigerator cars
of today will be done away with, and
this extra room can be utilized The
first cost, that of establishing the re-
frigerating plant in a car, will be prac-
tically the entire cost, as all alter ex-
penditureS will be confined to the wear
and tear on the plant and the replen-
ishing of the chemicals used for cooling
purposes.
for the refrigerating plant is secured
from the turning of the axle of the car
while it is in motion. During the time
that the car is at a standstill. the plant
is so constructed that it will continue
to furnish cold storage for from 10 to
Is hours This will give ample time for
the loading and unloading of a car.
For many years experiments have
been made at different times and by
different persons and firms in producing
artificial cold in refrigerator cars by
means of a, plant similar to that of an
ice making machine. They have all
is said to be partially due to the fact ii
was attempted to use ammonia for the
cooling chemical.
In Mr.. Palmer's process a new and
entirely practical chemical, which is OF
low pressure, perfectly harmless and en-
tirely neutral, is used. This enables the
making of all pipes of copper with the
| joints soldered, which is of itself quite
an item, as it does away to a great ex-
tent with the danger of an accidental
] OnRning of a
! In the car, which has been equipped
at the shops in this city, the refrigerat-
ing plant is placed in one end and the
| pipes put together very much like those
| of a steam radiator. A forced circula-
ton is used to distribute the cold all
throughout the car, which is accom-
| plished by means of a fan, driven by
axle power. The machinery controls
itself automatically, and needs very lit
| tie attention.
In the use of a, new chemical vastly
more satisfactory results are said to
have been obtained than could be ac-
cOmplished with ammonia. It is harm.
less and seldom reaches a pressure
greater than so pounds when used fol
! refrigerating purposes. What this
+ chemical is, is being kept a secret, bu1
| it is said to be a great success in the
refriSerating of cars.