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Freight
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Passenger
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Freight Cars
Freight train near Cumbres c1990
Freight cars are the equipment used to ship goods for a profit on the
railroad. The cars come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes to carry different
types of goods and materials.
At first there were just a few shapes of freight cars like the
box car, gondola and flat car. As the goods shipped on the railroad became more sophisticated,
so did the cars used to carry these goods. Forms of cars were invented for
conveying special materials like the tank car for liquids, the refrigerator car
for produce, etc. Specialized units were developed to freight things like
automobiles.
The basic material used to construct the freight cars
transitioned over time from wood to steel. Steel became more available, the
fabrication technology more sophisticated. and the material proved much more durable
than wood.
NARROW GAUGE
 
3681 box car 1997
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Box Cars The
box car is the basic carrier of packaged goods and supplies. Cargo shipped
in box cars has a solid shape that can be loaded inside the unit through
the door.
In modern times the box car has almost been replaced with the piggy back
flat cars.
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6200 flat car 1995
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Flat Cars The
flat car is a uniform flat plane with wheels. Any type of goods might be
placed on top and strapped down for the ride. In general this might be
various types of equipment, lumber, steel or other materials that could
withstand being exposed to the weather.
At first the narrow gauge flat cars were built entirely of
wood. Eventually steel sided flat cars were introduced. Some wooden versions
were reinforced by adding a piece of old rail to the bottom
of the side sills.
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700 Side dump Gondola 1995
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Gondola Cars Ore and
coal was a major cargo for the Rio Grande and it was most often carried in gondola cars. The
drop bottom style has a floor that hinges down to dump the load beneath the
car. Side dump gondolas have a visible hinge along the length of the side
and this allowed the side to drop open and the load to be dumped over the
side.
Most narrow gauge gondolas were built entirely of wood.
A few outside steel
frames.
In 1923 the side boards were raised on some of the gondolas to 4 feet 2
inches. These cars were called High Side Gondolas.
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166
refrigerator car 1995 |
Refrigerator Cars The
Refrigerator cars were a basic boxcar with an ice compartment on the ends that kept the
cargo cool.
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5706 stock car 1995
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Stock Cars Stock cars
carried live animals to and from the market and pastures. Cattle and sheep were frequent passengers on
the old line. The "open air" cars kept the animals somewhat happy.
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Tank Cars Tank cars
carry bulk liquids. Early models were basically a flat car with a tank strapped
down to the bed. Most tank cars found their way to the railroad during the oil boom
of the
1950’s and 60’s.
The UTLX tank cars were previously lettered with
GRAMPS in the 1950’s for Gramps oil company.
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STANDARD GAUGE
Box Car
Gondola
Hopper
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