my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

Index

[ Class "X" - Boxcar types ] [Class "R" - Refrigerator Car types ]

[ Class "S" - Stock Car type ] [ Class "H" - Hopper Car types ] [ Class "F" - Flat Car types ]

[ Class "L" - Special Car types ] [ Class "T" - Tank Car types ] [ Class "G" - Gondola Car types ]

Class "X" - Boxcar Types

"XF" - Non-insulated boxcar similar in design to "XM", designed and specially prepared with a U.S Food and Drug Administration approved white epoxy or other comparable white coating to seal interior walls, doors and ends, and provide a smooth durable surface to prevent contamination.

"XL" - Loader Equipped. Box car similar in design to "XM", with steel perforated side walls or equipped w/ interior side rails for securement of certain types of lading and/or permanently attached movable bulkheads.

"XM" - Box car for general service equipped with side or side and end doors.

"XP" - A Box car similar in design to a "XM", but specially equipped for specific commodity loading and not suitable for general commodity loading; except that such box cars dedicated to handling commodities listed in Paragraph A of Rule 97 of the AAR Interchange Rules, must be designated "XP". A brief description and the particular kind of lading for which intended must be included in the Description column in the Official Railway Equipment Register.

"XT" - A house car w/ or w/o doors either metal lined or enclosing one or more tanks.

Note- When any of the foregoing Class "X" cars are insulated, the letter "I" should be added to the designation.

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Class "R" - Refrigerator Car Types

"RB"- A bunkerless refrigerator car w/ or w/o ventilating devices and w/ or w/o devices for attaching portable heaters. Constructed with insulation in sides, ends and roof to meet maximum UA factor requirement of 250 BTU/F/Hour for 50' cars and 300 BTU/F/Hour for 60' cars. Effective for cars ordered new after March 1, 1984.

Note: Cars built or rebuilt prior to March 1,1984, must have been constructed w/ a minimum of 3" of insulation in the sides and ends and 3 1/2" in floor and roof based on insulation requirements given in AAR Standard S-2010 or a thickness reduced in proportion to the thermal conductivity of the insulation.

"RBL"- Car similar in construction to a "RB" type car, but equipped in addition with adjustable loading or stowing device.

"RP"- Mechanical refrigerator car equipped w/ or w/o means of ventilation and provided w/ apparatus for protection against heat or cold. Apparatus operated by power other than through the car axle.

"RPB"- Mechanical Refrigerator. Similar to "RP", but designed primarily for use in bulk potato or similar type loading as cars are equipped with interior slope sheets and conveyers and/or equipment for mechanical loading and unloading.

"RPC"- Mechanical Refrigerator. Similar to "RP", but equipped with permanently affixed containers.

"RPL"- Mechanical Refrigerator. Similar to "RP", but equipped in addition with adjustable loading or stowage device.

"RS"- Bunker refrigerator car equipped w/ ice bunkers. Designed primarily for use of chunk ice and w/ or w/o means of ventilation.

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Class "S" - Stock Car types

"SA"- Stock Car. A car equipped for transport of stock on hoof ( except horses and mules), equipped w/ roof, slatted sides and doors and fixed deck located sufficiently high to permit the loading of cattle on the lower deck. W/ or W/O feed and water troughs.

"SC"- Car for transportation of livestock equipped with roof, slated sides and doors, and double deck. W/ or W/O feed or water troughs.

"SM"- Car for transportation of livestock equipped with roof, slated sides and doors, and single deck. W/ or W/O feed or water troughs.

"ST"- Car for transportation of livestock equipped with roof, slated sides and doors, and fixed triple deck. W/ or W/O feed or water troughs.

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Class "H" - Hopper Car Types

"HFA"- An open top self-clearing car, having fixed sides and ends, and bottom consisting of divided hoppers w/ doors hinged lengthwise for dumping outside and/or inside of the rail; also one divided hopper at each end, extending from end of car to bolster w/ doors hinged length-wise of car and dumping outside of rails.

"HK"- An open top self-clearing car, having fixed sides and ends, and bottom consisting of two or more divided hoppers dumping outside or inside of rails ( includes former "HD").

"HM"- An open top self-clearing car, having fixed sides and ends, and bottom consisting of two divided hoppers w/ doors hinged crosswise of car and dumping between rails.

"HMA"- An open top self-clearing car, having fixed sides and ends, and bottom consisting of two divided hoppers w/ doors hinged length- wise of car and dumping between rails.

"HT"- An open top self-clearing car, having fixed sides and ends, and bottom consisting of three or more divided hoppers w/ doors hinged crosswise of car and dumping between rails.

"HTA"- An open top self-clearing car, having fixed sides and ends, and bottom consisting of three or more divided hoppers w/ doors hinged lengthwise of car and dumping between rails.

Note 1: Where cars are specially modified or equipped for handling particular commodities, the letter "S" must be affixed to the applicable designating letters. Such special equipment must be reported in the ULMER file and the appropriate notation made in the Official Railway Equipment Register.

Note 2: If any of these hopper cars are equipped with a roof for protection of the contents the letter "R" must be affixed to the regular symbol to designate its special class of service.

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Class "F" - Flat Car types

"FA"- A flat car specifically equipped w/ superstructure or containers for transporting setup vehicles, not suitable for misc. commodities.

"FA"- Bulkhead flat cars. Equipped with fixed or permanently attached movable bulkheads or ends a minimum of three feet in height and flat floor for general commodity loading.

"FC"- Flat cars, specifically equipped to carry trucks, trailers, or removable trailer bodies for the transportation of freight in TOFC/COFC service.

"FCA"- Flat car, articulated multi-unit, specially equipped to carry trucks, containers or removable trailer bodies for the transportation of freight in TOFC/COFC service.

"FD"- Depressed center flat car of special construction having the portion of floor extending between trucks depressed to provide necessary overhead clearance for lading.

"FL"- Flat logging car or logging truck. This is either an ordinary flat car or car consisting of two trucks fitted w/ cross supports over the truck bolsters; the trucks connected by a skeleton or flexible frame and logs loaded lengthwise on the cross supports.

"FM"- Ordinary flat car for general service. This car has flooring laid over sills and w/o sides or ends.

"FW"- Flat car with hole to enable lading to be lowered due to clearance limits.

Note: Where cars are specially modified or equipped for handling particular commodities, the letter "S" must be affixed to the applicable designating letters. Such special equipment must be reported in the ULMER file and the appropriate notation made in the Official Railway Equipment Register. This would NOT apply to cars with "FA" or "FL" designations.

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Class "L" - Special Car types

"LC"- Boxcar with side doors and roof hatches. May be equipped with end doors.

"LF"- Flat car equipped to handle one or more demountable containers for transportation of commodities not under refrigeration.

Note: Not applicable to flat cars designed to handle containers in TOFC/COFC service or containers handling setup vehicles

"LG"- A gondola car equipped to handle one or more demountable containers for transportation of commodities not under refrigeration.

"LM"- A car equipped with one or more permanently enclosed containers or tanks, provided with one or more openings for loading and equipped for pneumatic or gravity unloading. Car is suitable for handling certain dry powdered or granular commodities, and also low viscosity, non-dangerous liquid commodities.

"LO"- A permanently enclosed car, other than a boxcar, regardless of exterior or interior shape, for handling bulk commodities, w/ or w/o insulation and provided w/ openings for loading through top or sides with weather-tight covers or doors. Car may be provided w/ one or more bottom openings for unloading , w/ tight fitting covers, doors, valves, or tight fitting slide or gate to prevent leakage of lading. Car may be provided w/ facilities for discharge of lading through openings and tops and sides and may have one or more compartments. Mechanical or other means may be provided within car to expedite loading or unloading.

"LP"- An open top car having solid bottom and fixed ends equipped sloping floor or longitudinal risers or sidestakes for handling pulpwood and not suitable for general commodity loading.

"LS"- A car of special construction having two separable interlocking units which form a car body. Units may be separated and the load interposed between and locked in place to form a complete transportation unit ( editor's note: this is the type of car used to move large transformers referred to as a Schnabel car after the German manufacturer).

"LU"- An enclosed car with roof, having a special metal beam at the top of each side to support a series of retractable overhead side doors and their appurtenances, or other types of doors, running substantially the length of the car, which beams also support the roof details. Car may also be equipped w/ special loading devices or racks for handling various commodities.

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Class "T" - Tank Car types

"T"- Tank Car. Tank car means any car which is used only for the transportation of liquids, liquefied gases, compressed gases or solids that are liquefied prior to unloading. Car maybe w/o underframe if superstructure is designed to serve as underframe. If car has underframe, it must be designed only for the carriage of of one or more enclosed containers ( w/ or w/o compartments) that form the superstructure and are an integral parts of the car. All such containers must be securely attached to the underframe when offered for transportation but may have demountable features. Before any car may be considered a tank car hereunder, the design of all such containers must have be approved by:

1. the AAR Committee on Tank Cars as having met all applicable AAR specifications and requirements and
2. by said committee or in appropriate cases, by the Department of Transportation as having met all applicable specifications and requirements of Sub part I of the Regulations for Transportation of Explosives and Other Dangerous Articles.

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Class "G" - Gondola Car types

"GA"-An open top car, having fixed sides and ends and drop bottom, consisting of doors hinged cross-wise of car to dump between the rails.

"GB"-An open top car, having fixed sides, fixed or drop ends and solid bottom.

"GD"-An open top car, having fixed or drop ends, solid bottom and sides equipped w/ doors for dumping.

"GH"-An open top car, having fixed sides, drop ends and drop bottom, consisting of doors hinged at center sill to dump outside of rails.

"GS"-An open top car, having fixed sides and ends and drop bottom, consisting of doors hinged at center sill or side sills to dump outside and/or inside of rails.

"GT"-An open top car, having high fixed sides and fixed or hinged ends and solid bottom, suitable for unloading on dumping machines only.

"W"-Open top well-hole car for transportation of special commodities. A solid bottom car w/ fixed sides and ends, having one or more openings or depressions in floor permitting the lading to be lowered in order to obtain overhead clearance.

NOTE: When gondola cars are equipped w/ any or all of the modifications provided for in the following notes 1 and 2, the suffixes as provided shall be added to the primary classification in the order of the notes as listed.

Note 1: Where cars are specially modified or equipped for handling particular commodities, the letter "S" must be affixed to the applicable designating letters. Such special equipment must be reported in the ULMER file and the appropriate notation made in the Official Railway Equipment Register.

Note 2: If any of these gondola cars are equipped with a roof for protection of the contents the letter "R" must be affixed to the regular symbol to designate its special class of service.

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