Duncan & Jeff
Rutherford Potato company (probalby one of the largest packers) was located
at the south end of the Burlington Yard in the area that had been the stock
yards. The building was 500' feet long with tracks inside on both the east and
west side. They had a 10 car capacity. The loads were set in on the west side
and the mty's on the east side. Kenny Rutherford who didn't finish the eighth
grade designed the conveyor system in the building both under the floor and
overhead. He held the patents on several different scales used to pack the
spuds.
There were two tracks on the west side of the building for loads and the
elevator track on the east side for the mty's. Number 110 southbound was not
called until Rutherford finished for the day. The switch engine would put the
loaded spuds on the headend for St. Louis.
Empty cars used were BRE-FGE-WFE-NP standard reefers (RS) and MNX (RSM) cars.
Some Charcoal heaters were used until about 71-72 then it was all Preco
heaters. I had one load burn up at Beardstown because a heater turned over and
one mty burn up at Afton, IA because I hadn't turned off the fans.
In addition to Rutherford's in Bulington there was Sterzings Potato Chips in
West Burlington.
These are the folks that required the spuds be kept at 60 degrees during the
cold weather. If a chippin potato hits the shortening and it to cold they will
turn dark.
The first couple of years 69-70 ADM had a turkey plant in Burlington and we
used mechanical cars to ship the frozen product. Heil Ice company stored USDA
butter which would arrive in mechanical cars.
After the 70's merger potatoes started arriving in 50' mechanical cars with
the same type slope sheets as the RSM.
BB 23 page 115 has a nice aerial photo of the southend of the yard.
Lenny
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