When young, 50 years or more ago, I worked unloading freight cars, usually 20 pound bags of charcoal, in 80-90 degree summertime heat, the only respite was the occasional reefer. Whether vegetables or fish, we loved the frigid interiors, and lingered as long as possible on those jobs.

This photo, taken in the Santa Fe "B Yard" in San Bernardino Yard in 1973, shows the facility at the very end of the "icer" era. San Bernardino was also the main point for servicing the mechanical refrigeration units which replaced the ice cooled reefers. Now, most railroad mechanical refrigerator cars have been retrofitted with the same style of refrigeration units used on trucks, and the most modern cars use cryogenic cooling.

Brings back a lot of memories, we also iced passenger cars before air conditioning on the C.P.R. and this was in the 1950's on the Canadian prairies. aaahh memories!

Best pipe wrap ever.