Exhibits

Butter Boom

The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway led to the development of agriculture and the food industry in Siberia. The opportunity to bring fresh Siberian butter to the European part of Russia and to the Baltic ports by rail created a surge in demand for it in Russia and abroad, known as the “butter boom”. Thousands of butter factories were built in Siberia, and hundreds of new cars known as refrigerator vans transported their products. The World War I, which began in 1914, destroyed this trade, but the refrigerator vans were sought-after for supplying the army in the field.

The emergence of the Trans-Siberian Railway led to the development of agriculture and the food industry in Siberia. Thousands of butter factories were built, and their products were transported to the European part of Russia.

Isothermic Car

Design

Isothermic cars were specially designed in the early 20th century to transport Siberian butter to ports on the Baltic Sea, and had double walls with insulation (cork) between them, a pair of ice chambers, a pair of two-leaf doors and an additional screen on the roof to block sunlight.

Isothermic cars had double walls with cork between them and chambers for ice. The ice was loaded at the loading station and along the route, and the car was cooled by natural air circulation.

The ice was loaded into special ice storage boxes at the loading station and along the route. Cooling was achieved by the natural circulation of air cooled by the ice. The distribution was uneven and the air became humid.

Museum Exhibit

The car was built prior to 1918 at a Russian wagon works. While in service, the doors were fitted with new Meinert-type locks, which were stronger than the Finnish-railways-type door locks previously used.