Photograph as originally submitted to this page in the Historical Marker Database www.HMdb.org. Click on photo to resize in browser. Scroll down to see metadata.

Caption: Marker detail: Salamander / Salamandre
Additional Description: Potatoes inside a train needed protection from winter icing before climate-controlled insulated refrigerator cars. How to keep potatoes from freezing? The very first potato cars each had a wood burning stove or salamander. Tenders, called potato bugs would travel on the train, tending the stoves at stops. (above: a potato bug’s rail pass)

Avant l'apparition de wagons bien isolés à atmosphère contrôlée, 'les patates devaient être protégées du gel. Comment empêcher les patates de geler ? Les premiers wagons avaient un petit poêle à bois appelé aussi salamandre que des employés (les bibittes à patates!), circulant de wagon à wagon, alimentaient pendant les arrêts de train. (ci-dessus, un laissez-passer pour ces employés)
Submitted: April 14, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Database Locator Identification Number: p517001
File Size: 2.931 Megabytes

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