Bill Stokoe

Yes, it kept your lettuce crisp while it was speeding your way in a refrigerated rail car. "Even railroad veterans are stumped by this thing," says Bill Stokoe, in whose remarkable collection this device resides.

Here's how it worked. The wheel was lowered onto the train wheels, which turned it and the shaft connected to it. The shaft powered a generator that provided power to fans that blew air over big bunkers of ice.

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