Merchants Despatch or, to give its full name, Merchants Despatch Transportation or MDT, was one of the largest owners and operators of refrigerator cars in the United States. Though owned by New York Central, it was independently operated from headquarters in Chicago and operated a major shop at East Rochester, New York. Over the years, not only refrigerator cars for MDT and it subsidiaries such as Northern Refrigerator Line, but many freight cars for New York Central, were built at Despatch Shops. This company, with origins with the American Express company in 1849, eventually was incorporated in its own right and survived beyond the Penn Central merger into the Conrail era. This book describes that 150-year history in some detail, emphasizing the construction and operation of refrigerator and other freight cars. It contains a great wealth of photo illustrations, the majority never before published. It will provide freight car enthusiasts as well as New York Central fans with much interesting and valuable history and information. List price $65.00, hardcover, 298 photos, 90 graphics and drawings, 296 pages. SKU: MDT. Posted 11-1-11.
