COTTON, HOW IT WAS SHIPPED IN BOXCARS

Figure 1 Standard 36' boxcar 26"x45"x56" Bales

Figure 1 L&N 36' boxcar 30"x46"x56" Bales method 1

Figure 1 L&N 36' boxcar 30"x46"x56" Bales method 2

courtesy Warren Dickinson

If the cotton compress shipped out cotton seed oil it was a multi-purpose
industry.  A cotton gin would separate the fiber from the seeds, a cottonseed
oil mill would press the seeds to extract the oil, and a compress would do
just that -- compress the standard size bales to a smaller size so more of
them would fit into a railroad car.  Both gins and compresses had warehouses
for storage until the bales could be sold and shipped.

By the way, the Atlantic Compress Company was owned by a consortium of
Southeastern railroads and had facilities in many Southern locations.
Because the company was owned by several railroads, the facilities were
usually served by more than one carrier and were open for switching by any of
the other owning carriers that served the city.

Bob Hanson

© S.A. McCALL