Bobber Caboose – CO&E 0100 Previous Next Getting their nickname from the way that a floating bobber danced in the water on the end of a fishing line, “bobber” cabooses tended to ride rough and jostle riders. This was primarily due to their short length and use of only two, “fixed” (i.e., non-swiveling) axles with …
Idler Cars – P&LE X300504 and NS 960088 Previous Next A railroad wreck crane’s constant companion was the idler car, sometimes known as a “boom car.” The idler car was typically a re-purposed flatcar or gondola which would be coupled directly ahead of the crane and below the crane’s long boom, allowing the crane to …
Boxcar – PRR 51121 Previous Next Since the US railroads frequently handed off freight cars between each other (the railroad term is “interchange”), it was advantageous to standardize design of cars between the numerous different railroads and companies who owned them. Standardization avoided compatibility issues such as one railroad’s cars not fitting through another one’s …
Insulated Boxcar – URTX 26571 Previous Next Built in 1931 for United Reefer Transit, this insulated boxcar was leased to Libby, McNeill & Libby. It carried canned fruits, vegetables, and meats to market from Libby’s manufacturing facilities. United Reefer Transit was one of numerous railcar leasing firms at that time, a business that continues to …
Gondola Car – B&O 451091 Previous Next While the Baltimore & Ohio railroad owned many similar gondola cars, this car was one of a class of only 100 cars fitted with special brackets to attach metal covers which sat on top of the side walls. These covers protected the car’s primary cargo, coiled rolls of …
Covered Hopper Car – P&LE 1447 Previous Next Based in Pittsburgh and serving western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad’s primary source of revenue was the steel industry. At its peak, the P&LE moved one percent of all US rail freight (by ton) despite only operating one tenth of one percent …
50′ Flat Car – USAX 39502 Previous Next US Army Transportation Corp flatcar 39502 and many similar cars moved military equipment around the country during the Cold War. Trains of these flatcars carrying tanks, trucks, Jeeps, and other vehicles were common sights on the nation’s railroads. When 39502 and its sister cars were retired, the …
Experimental Flat Car – RI 95650 Previous Next The 15 years following World War II brought sweeping innovation to the American railroad industry. Steam locomotives were replaced by diesel-electric power, dramatically changing railroad operations and maintenance practices. Railroads made major investments in passenger trains, trying one last time to win business away from automobiles and …
Hopper Car – Montour 847 Previous Next While this 1960-built coal hopper car served the might Pennsylvania Railroad, it represents a lesser-known coal hauling railroad in the Age of Steam collection. The Montour Railroad (MRR) carried coal from the numerous mines of Southwestern Pennsylvania to interchanges with the major railroads in the area. At its …
54′ Flat Car – USAX 38358 Previous Next As the Cold War escalated in the 1950’s, the numerous branches of the United States Armed Forces invested in new railroad freight cars to move supplies and equipment across the country. The US Navy bought new boxcars to better protect ammunition, while the Army purchased flatcars better …
