When I used to ride the Gulf Wind and Silver Meteor in the mid-sixties, I remember more than once seeing men at the Jacksonville terminal loading big blocks of ice into the roofs of the passenger cars. They started this operation as soon as a train pulled in, for I recall seeing them up there while passengers were still piling off the train. At the time, being a kid, I naively thought the ice was for the drinking fountains in the coaches, put there to melt and make ice water. Now, of course, I realize the ice probably had something to do with the air-conditioning system. Does anyone know for sure? (It seems odd now to think of those big blocks being swung over our heads....if one had slipped out of the men's grasp and gone over the side to land on a detraining passenger....ouch!)

-- Bill Crockett (RedKt5@aol.com), October 16, 1999

Answers

This ice was used in the diners.I don't know of any cars other than diners that ice was roof loaded. The AC ice bunkers were under the cars. What you saw were small chunks,still hard on the head,if dropped. Large 300# blocks were loaded,near platform level,into the lower bunkers.

-- Joseph Oates (jlosal@gte.net), October 19, 1999.