Transporting live fish over long distances is challenging at the best of times. But, can you imagine what it was like to transport live fish across the country over 140 years ago? Beginning in 1874, just 5 years after the first transcontinental rail linkup, an innovative system was developed to carry massive quantities of fish fry across the country by rail on “Fish Cars” to stock lakes and rivers for sport and commercial fishing. Facilities like the Neosho National Fish Hatchery in Missouri transported fish on passenger railroad cars. The fish were kept alive in 10 gallon milk cans that were cooled by ice. Since this was years before the advent of electric aquarium air pumps and filtration, fellow passengers were hired to help aerate the water by hand and when possible partial water changes were done every two hours.
Thousands of Shad Fry being loaded onto a Fish Car in the late 1800′s. (Catskill Archive)
Inside an 1880′s era Fish Car. (Catskill Archive)
Seeding lakes and rivers with game fish proved so successful that in 1881, a baggage car was converted and specifically equipped for carrying fish. In 1882, the U.S. Fish Commission (a forerunner of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) invested in an improved version which was fitted with compartments to hold ice and a new aerating device was used. The aerating device was a cylinder with tiny holes in the bottom. It was filled with water and held over the milk cans, releasing a fine spray of air enriched water. The car was reinforced so it could carry as much as 20,000 pounds of fish, water, and equipment.
Filling 10 gallon cans with freshwater for water changes along the cross country journey. (Catskill Archive)
By 1894, the Fish Commission had 4 dedicated Fish Cars. Each car, which could carry about 150 10-gallon cans containing up to 15,000 3-inch fish. The five-man crew included a fish car captain, several aquarists and a cook.
Inside of the more modern Fish Cars built in the 1920′s. (Catskill Archive)
The 10th and final Fish Car to be built was in 1929. It was 81 feet long and could hold 325 cans containing 34,000 3-inch fish or 500,000 1-inch fish. The car even had its own generator to operate all the equipment, including the electric aerating devices.In 1947 the last rail Fish Car left service.… More:
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