Does anyone know the number of cattle generally loaded into a typical stock car?
It depends on the car size. About 20 cows was standard.
Try finding a copy of the ICC’s “Rules for the Handling of Live Stock in Transit.” The last edition of which was released around 1970. It was very highly detailed as to what could be carried how far before they had to be let out of the car,excercised,fed,watered and re-loaded in a car. This was required reading for many a Division Superintendent, Yard master, Conductor, Brakeman and VP/ transportation. The ICC was very tough on these rules, since this was going to be our dinner within a few days. Then the meat processors found out it was easier to slaughter the cattle,hogs…et al, and ship them frozen or refrigerated, wrapped and ready for the store. Consider this, cattle could be “moved no more than 150 miles in a 24 hour period,after having been fed, excercised, and watered in proper containment areas, meeting ICC standards.” There was no way railroads in 1970, let alone now, that would want to have to live up to those rules. I think Amtrak could violate the rules if they treated us like Cattle! In some corridors, that would be an improvement over what is running now.[B)]
Thanks for all the information.