Milk Bottles marked for MP

[benjamintickell53]

Originally posted in Railroad Archives Forum – July 1, 2009

Missouri Pacific dining car commissaries obtained milk in at least three sizes of marked glass milk bottles, and these bottles have become collectibles much like other relics of passenger train service.

The smallest size, 1/2 pint, is marked in red ink. One side has the Missouri Pacific Lines buzzsaw and “A Service Institution” slogan, while the other side has the name of the dairy, Sunnymede Farm, Bismark, Missouri. Sunnymede Farm was a large dairy operation, at one time owned by Missouri Pacific, and located along the DeSoto Subdivision just south of Bismark. A brief description of the farm is contained in the MPHS Eagle, Summer 1997 issue.

The next size milk bottle is 1/3 quart, with the Missouri Pacific Lines buzzsaw embossed on one side. On the opposite side, the bottle is embossed “Bottled on Ben Bush Farm for Missouri Pacific Lines. Benjamin F. Bush was president of Missouri Pacific from 1911 until April 1923, when he was succeeded by L. W. Baldwin. Bush continued to serve on the board of Missouri Pacific until his death in July 1927. After retiring from the MP presidency, Bush devoted much time to his farm, the former Coleman farm in St. Louis County. The farm was located on the Creve Coeur branch of the MoP, and Coleman station was renamed Benbush in recognition of Bush and the farm. No doubt Bush’s prior connections with Missouri Pacific helped to secure the dairy contract which resulted in these milk bottles.

The third size of milk bottle is 1 quart, marked with an embossed Missouri Pacific Lines buzzsaw on one side. No other dairy marking is on the bottle.

Detailed information on the dates of usage of these milk bottles is not currently available, but the embossed bottles are believed to have been earlier examples, while the 1/2 pint bottles are believed to date from the mid to late 1940s.

Beware of reproduction milk bottles or small, clear creamers marked only with the Missouri Pacific Lines buzzsaw in red, blue or black. These items are all of recent production – fakes which never saw service under Missouri Pacific. Even the one-half pint bottles were reportedly reproduced in fairly large quantities in the 1980s, complete with the Sunnymede lettering, but in a slightly different style than the original.

Bill Pollard

[benjamintickell53]

Milk bottle lid and 1/2 pint bottle.
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[benjamintickell53]

One-third quart milk bottle with embossed buzzsaw.
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[benjamintickell53]

There is a second version of one-quart size milk bottles. The second version one has MISSOURI PACIFIC DINING CAR SERVICE in a circular pattern, a smaller buzzsaw outline, and BENBUSH in both horizontal and vertical format forming a “plus” sign in the center. The back has WASH AND RETURN and in smaller font, 1-11-14 which might be a date or simply a manufacturing number.

Bill Pollard

[benjamintickell53]

Per December 2018 discussions in the Missouri Pacific Fanpage (Facebook), there are actually 2 versions of the half pint, 2 versions of the embossed 1/3 quart and 4 versions of the embossed quart bottle. Thanks to Mike Osman for this additional information and photographs.

Bill Pollard

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For the one-half pint size, there are two known variations. The lettering on the bottle is the same with each, but one bottle shape is slightly shorter. This is the only size with red printed lettering, the other two sizes of milk bottles have embossed lettering only. Beware of counterfeit copies of the one-half pint size; a fake version with only the Buzzsaw and another fake version with Buzzsaw and “Property of MoPac RR” have been reported.

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The one-third pint size comes in two known variations. The variation shown at left below is embossed on one side with the Missouri Pacific Lines buzzsaw (approximately 2 inches diameter), and on the other side “Bottled on Ben Bush Farm for Missouri Pacific Lines.” The bottle on right, presumably an older variation, has a buzzsaw outline on one side with BenBush vertically and horizontally in the buzzsaw. Surrounding this is embossed “Missouri Pacific Dining Car Service.”

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The one quart milk bottle comes in four known varieties. The variation shown at lower left is embossed with a 2 3/4″ Missouri Pacific Lines buzzsaw and “One Quart Liquid.” There is no dairy identifying mark. The bottle was manufactured by Duraglas with 18 <> 46 and the Duraglas name embossed on the base. The variation shown at lower right has text embossing “Bottled on Ben Bush Farm for Missouri Pacific Lines.” There is no Buzzsaw or other mark on the reverse side.

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A third variety is marked like the one-third quart bottle, with a buzzsaw outline on one side with BenBush vertically and horizontally in the buzzsaw. Surrounding this is embossed “Missouri Pacific Dining Car Service.”

The fourth variety of quart milk bottle is embossed for Sunnymeade Farm. (No image available.)

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