N 40' Pfaudler Milk Car, Merkle #742

N 40' Pfaudler Milk Car, Merkle #742 Overview

In the 1920's, the Pfaudler Company and General American Car Company manufactured hundreds of wood sheathed, insulated milk cars. Designed as bulk milk carriers, the cars were built around two 6,000-gallon glass lined tanks and a brine cooling system designed to keep the milk at a constant 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Riding on passenger car trucks, these unique cars were often painted Pullman green to match the passenger cars of the era. The special purpose Pfaudler Cars hauled bulk milk shipments well into the 1950's.