We all know that railroads use railcars. What is it about the railcar that makes it special? Well, the type, size, capacity it can hold, material it is made of, special doors, hatches or gates, or sometimes even the electronics.

Are they cheap? Definitely NOT! I've seen some railcars that cost as much as a luxury automobile and then some. The cheapest I've seen for a new one was around $40k but that was some time ago. Do you want to buy a refrigerated boxcar? Be prepared to spend at least $80k or more for that.

So, on to the kinds of cars.

Follow up:

You have boxcars which are basically boxes on wheels. They hold a large variety of items and are very versatile. Some are even refrigerated so you can transport perishable items like beer or french fries in them.



Tank cars are basically a cylinder on it's side on wheels. This is sealed and usually holds liquids and gasses. Often these can be toxic but sometimes they are just food grade. Normally these are owned by the customer that uses them and not the railroad.



A gondola often looks like a boxcar that has had the top half removed. They hold such items as scrap metal, woodchips, and even coiled steel. Coil steel gondolas often have a top that is put on them to protect the metal. Gondolas can also have a higher side wall so they can hold coal.


A covered hopper is another kind of car. They have hatches on the top and gates on the bottom. Like a tank car, they are sealed but not as tight. Covered Hoppers often carry grain products, sand, and other bulk commodity items that have smaller particle sizes. They are filled at the top through the hatch and then emptied at the bottom through the gates.



The picture above shows a covered hopper. There are also open top hoppers that look the same except they don't have a top on them. You also see them carrying coal just like the gondolas can. Open top hoppers though can carry heavier bulk commodities that won't blow away when the train is going down the track.

A flatcar is probably the most diverse. It can be very simple as show in the photo below. It can have bulkheads which are tall sides at each end of the car, they can have a spine down the middle along with the bulkheads. The bulkhead flatcars are often used with lumber products. You may have seen a train going down the track with stacks and stacks of plywood. Those would be bulkhead flatcars that are carrying that wood.

There are also some flatcars that carry trucks, tanks, cranes, and even airplane cockpit, fuselage, and wing components. These are specialized and are designed specifically to carry these heavy components.



Flatcars can also be very specialized and carry truck trailers and containers. These are Intermodal flatcars and are also very expensive. They are definitely the most diverse group as well. They are often permanently connected together so what may look like 5 or 10 cars is really 2 cars with 5 sections each. The trailers and containers are lifted onto the cars and fastened down. The picture shows an intermodal train with containers double stacked along the length of the train. This is the fastest growing area of freight on railroads. These trains often have high priority and are going across country to get these goods to the destination quickly. Both UPS and the US Post Office use this kind of car to carry their trailers across country.



Now those that know about the industry are going to say that this is very basic. Well I meant it to be that way. You really have to start somewhere. And a basic overview of the cars is good to know.

If you are interested in learning more about railroads or finding out how I can provide data and analytical support for your company, take a look at my website at for more information.