Hello all, I started a thread a few days ago about jumbo tank cars and I decided to start this thread about unique railcars that includes both passenger and freight equipment. By unique I mean oversize, over length, or just plain unusual. I look forward to your replies!
There are quite a few interesting cars out there under the DODX reporting mark, tank transporters, nucear missile cars (giant box car, there was a thread a while back), nuclear reactor transport flatcars, once upon a time a helium car I think (a little fuzzy on that one).
Other items:
Depressed center flats with all manner of interesting things, boilers, large transformers.
Circus Train! Which will be gone by the end of the year.
Flat cars with locomotives on them, either being transported for restoration or scrap.
Flexi-van trailer (minus bogie) on flatcar (watch the NYC’s promotional video, its pretty neat).
Welded rail train.
Schnabel.
DODX that stands for Department of Defense, right? Also thanks!
yes
The ones under other are not DODX cars, just random afterthoughts.
Oh ok, thanks!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacekeeper_Rail_Garrison
WECX vice DODX on the missile cars.
Where could I find information on that giant boxcar you spoke of?
The link above.
Edit:
I guess its not really a box car, but it kind of looks like one, which I think was the point.
Thanks again!
The helium tank cars are one of my faverits. Saw them twice being moved to the Ames research center on Moffet Field in Palo Alto, California to cool the lasers and other equipment.
Here is a picture of one lettered for the US Bureau of Mines
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2468521
A unique boxcar (design):
And this one, one of the few boxcars with portholes (for hauling tobacco):
And this is a pretty unusual stock car:
And finally. I don’t have any pictures handy, but there were a very few 40’ boxcars that had two 10’ doors per side. Great Northern had one, and SAL had a few.
Ed
All rail cars are unique, they all have a different type, initial and number.
Long flat cars retired from intermodal service which have movable bolsters on the decks - meant for transporting wrecked freight cars.
All door boxcars. I saw one a few years back on the CN presumably carrying lumber.
Carbon black cars are certainly noteworthy, and look somehow more hulking due to their black paint.
Open loads of almost any kind are per se interesting cars.
I did once see a Schnabel car in operation. Wow. Too bad it was after dark and too late for photography (the pre digital era).
Dave Nelson
Very interesting, thanks!
spend some time looking at the fallen flags site all kinds of interesting equipment there.
Here is a picture of a DODX boxcar with the side doors down at one end. I saw any number fo these at varioua military facilities that I worked at.
Enjoy[:)]
Oh, yeah. There’s this covered hopper, too:
And, going into passenger cars, one of (formerly) GN’s famous “ultra short” combines (ex-GN 475):
But wait, there’s more:
The above was made from a Baldwin VO-1000 diesel switcher–made for a very durable caboose.
All but one of the above have been available as HO models.
Ed
Every freight car is to a degree unique in its own way by the lading it was designed to carry. A 89’ boxcar can carry autoparts as can a smaller 60 autoparts car but,there are other 60’ boxcars design to carry light ladings that cube out before it weighs out.
Some cars like that Southern boxcar in the photo was used for hauling tobbacco from tobacco auction/warehouses to the tobacco manufacturers.
Here are some I think are unique.
