BREAKAGE OF EGGS IN TRANSIT. i 
straw, if packed tightly enough to prevent the shifting of the load, 
greatly decreases refrigeration. In order to secure the benefit of the 
cold air from the bunkers (p. 25) and at the same time use straw as a 
buffing, a small frame was made from scantling, as shown in figure 2. 
It fitted closely across 
the car, was the height 
of an egg case, and just 
wide enough to go into 
the space not filled by ig. 2.—Frame placed in front of ice bunker to keep 
the egg cases. The lids rhe straw bamine from blocking the cold-air exit in 
, ‘ straw-buffed cars. 
of cases were laid on 
the frame to keep the straw from falling through, and on them the 
buffine was placed in the usual manner. As an additional means 
= 
of securing efficient refrigeration, one row of cases was omitted from 
the first layer, and the extra space divided into runways the entire 
leneth of the car. In this way it was possible for the cold air to 
> a 
circulate from bunker to bunker. The solid load above held the 
lower layer in place. 
BUFFING THE LOAD WITH WOODEN FRAMES. 
It has long been the custom of many shippers to fill the excess 
space in egg cars with some sort of wooden framework,’ known as 
“braces,” “racks,” or “frames” (fig. 3). Grain doors, where avail- 
Fig. 3.—A modern frame used as buffing to fill a large space in doorway of car. Built 
of 2 by 4’s made in2 sections with struts between. 
able, are also employed for this purpose. The underlying require- 
ment for the successful use of any of these devices is that the space 
shall be completely filled and the load in both ends of the car tight. 
In a comparatively small number of cases ready-made frames of 
some sort are obtainable. Even so, the supply is not always ade- 
1 For the purposes of this report, the filling of excess space in the car to prevent shift- 
ing of the load during railway travel will be called ‘ buffing,’ regardless of the kind of 
material used. 
