Merchants Despatch
| Company type | Joint stock corporation (from June 1, 1869) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Freight forwarding, refrigerated transport, railcar manufacturing |
| Predecessor | American Express Company (as origin) |
| Founded | 1857 or 1858 |
| Founder | American Express Company |
| Defunct | 2000 |
| Fate | Dissolved after Conrail acquisition |
| Headquarters | East Rochester, New York (manufacturing plant location) , United States |
Area served | United States (nationwide refrigerated freight) |
Key people | Cornelius Vanderbilt (via ownership railroads) |
| Products | Refrigerator cars, autorack cars, container flats |
Number of employees | 900 (circa 1900) |
| Parent | New York Central Railroad (ownership), later Penn Central and Conrail |
The Merchants Despatch Transportation Company (MDT, also referred to as the Merchants Despatch Refrigerator Line) was established in 1857 or 1858 by the American Express Company of New York as a freight forwarding enterprise. It was reorganized into a joint stock corporation on June 1, 1869, with ownership divided among the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway (CCC&I), the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, and the New York Central Railroad (NYC), all entities within the Cornelius Vanderbilt railroad conglomerate.
Around 1880, MDT ventured into refrigerated transport, and within five years operated a fleet of 1,900 refrigerator cars, ranking it among the largest operators nationwide. According to historian John H. White, MDT holds the distinction of being "the oldest corporate name connected with refrigerated transit to survive into modern times." Beginning modest car production in 1883, MDT inaugurated a significant manufacturing plant near Rochester, New York in 1887 at a community called Despatch (currently known as East Rochester). With a workforce of 900 employees, MDT rapidly scaled up output; by 1900 its inventory included 6,687 cars, more than half of which were refrigerated.
The facility at East Rochester expanded to approximately 64 acres, accompanied by an equally sized rail yard, producing around 36 cars per day. This site became the chief manufacturing hub for the New York Central system. MDT integrated the Wickes Patent into its refrigerator car designs and supplemented its manufacturing capacity by acquiring rolling stock from firms such as Pullman to satisfy increasing demand.
Incorporated under New York State law in May 1911, MDT sold thousands of refrigerated cars to NYC and Lake Shore lines in late 1912 but leased them back for operational use. The company reincorporated in Delaware in 1923 and pursued growth through subsidiaries and acquisitions: it took over Eastern Refrigerator Despatch’s operations circa 1925 and acquired the Northern Refrigerator Car Line with its fleet of 1,800 cars in November 1928.
In 1936, Merchants Despatch, Inc. merged with MDT under Delaware incorporation. By 1962, Northern Refrigerator Car Line was consolidated into MDT as the company shifted focus toward automobile carrier services; between 1961 and 1966, nearly 1,200 autorack cars were procured (with MDT owning flatcars and NYC owning racks). Additionally, MDT entered intermodal freight transportation by acquiring 572 Flexi-Van container flats primarily used for mail transport on passenger trains from 1958 through 1965.
Following consolidation due to the Penn Central merger, MDT’s car manufacturing plant closed on April 1, 1970; the 72-acre site was subsequently sold. In July 1985, MDT assumed responsibility for car weighing and inspection duties formerly handled by the Eastern Weighing and Inspection Bureau. After ceasing production activities, MDT continued operating as a repair facility and lessor serving railroads and private companies. The company persisted through New York Central’s transition into Penn Central and later Conrail but was ultimately dissolved in 2000 after Conrail's acquisition.
Merchants Despatch Transportation Company Roster, 1900–1970:
| 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 |
| 3,550 | 5,388 | 308 | 11,938 | 13,346 | 9,690 | 6,714 | 7,181 |
Northern Refrigerator Car Line Roster, 1930–1960:
| 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 |
| 3,494 | 4,651 | 4,064 | 3,747 |
Source: The Great Yellow Fleet, p.16.
References
- White, John H. (1986). The Great Yellow Fleet. Golden West Books, San Marino, CA. ISBN 0-87095-091-6.
- White – American railroad freight car
- Hinman, Roger C. (2011). Merchant's Despatch; Its Equipment and History. Signature Press, Wilton, CA. ISBN 1-93001-329-9.
External links
- Rochester Images – contains photographs of MDT car shops and the Foster-Armstrong Company, which later became the American Piano Company and Aeolian American Corporation.