Features of railroad car types

BULK GRAIN RAILROAD CARS

Bulk grain railroad cars are semitrailers or trailers equipped with a special body for unpacked transportation of grain or other free running food products. Bulk grain railroad car is an indispensable mean for fast and reliable transportation of grain to very long distances. The car body is made up of steel or aluminium alloy, same as a reservoir for a cistern or a bunker. Grain loading to the car is to be performed from the top downward through special hatches or an opening roof. Roof opening mechanism has pneumatic or hand drive. Some bulk grain railroad cars are equipped with a self-loading system creating exhaustion in the car. At the same time the car unloading is usually carried out by pneumatic means securing grain loading to the height of up to 20 meters into storage reservoirs. Grain loading and unloading device is a drive from a truck engine or an independent engine. In order to facilitate unloading some bulk grain railroad cars are equipped with special vibrators. Such cars may have load capacity of up to 30 tons.

COVERED RAILROAD CARS

Covered railroad car is a cargo car closed at all sides. Its purpose is to provide integrity of a cargo at unfavorable weather conditions, protect against theft and mechanical damaging.
Covered railroad cars can be:
— Universal ones: for the transportation of packed, single-piece and free running goods. Thanks to special devices such cars can be used for passenger transportation operations; in case of such re-equipment they are often referred to as “heated railroad cars”.
— Special ones: for transportation of cattle and poultry, light motor vehicles, rolled paper, cold-rolled steel in rolls and packs. apatite concentrate and other goods.

OPEN BOX CARS

Open box car is a railroad freight-type open car without roof with high sides designed for transportation of bulk goods (ore, coil, flux agents, wood products), containers, other goods not requiring protection against atmospheric precipitation.
Open box car body usually has no roof (there are models with detachable roof) which facilitates loading and unloading of goods. Open box car can be equipped with loading hatches at the bottom and foldable end side walls or solid body. There is stepladder at the right upper corner and the left back corner for entering inside.
Open box cars can be:
— Of hatch-type ones: with unloading hatches at the bottom and gangway doors to open outside-in (or without doors)
— Solid-bottom ones: with body without a hatch and doors (solid body) intended for the transportation of bulk goods on milk runs with unloading at car dumpers. This type of cars is also can be used for the transportation of large-and-medium-tonnage containers instead of fitting platforms.
More detailed information on types of freight cars and its properties can be found
here.