11-01-2011, 01:23 AM
The 64 foot Trinity reefer now built by both Exact Rail and BLM for the Union Pacific was done as a result of favorable tests on the rebuilt units. The large 91 foot white with blue lettering BNSF reefers are the result of their favorable test. BNSF had so much trouble with Thermo-King mechanics just going to sidings to work on cars without setting out proper blue flags or even notifying BNSF that they were on site that BNSF took the T-K's off all 100 test cars and installed Carrier units and also sent T-K a letter to forward to all of their dealers telling them that due to the frequent and constant violations of Blue Flag safety laws, no T-K mechanic was to be permitted on BNSF company property from that time forward until further notice, and that any T-K mechanic caught on BNSF property would be arrested and prosecuted for trespassing! The Thermo-King units are still found on trailers and containers used in TOFC or COFC service, but I don't think any are installed on rail cars any more.