Flatcar

A flatcar (also spelled as flat car) is a piece of railroad rolling stock that consists of an open, flat deck on a pair of trucks or bogies. The deck of the car can be made of wood or steel, and the sides of the deck can include pockets for stakes or tie-down points to secure loads.

FEC 37066 passing Glen Haven, Wisconsin, on the Mississippi River, is carrying two containers.

A string of flatcars loaded with tanks under tarps in April 1943.

Flat cars are used for loads that are too large or cumbersome to load in enclosed cars such as boxcars. They are also often used to transport containers or trailers in intermodal shipping.

History

 

KCS 8985, a flatcar seen in this May 29 2004 photo, is fitted with hitches for hauling trailers.

Specialized types

Bulkhead flatcars

Centerbeam flatcars

 

BCIT 871027, a centerbeam flat car, leaving BN's Eola Yard, just east of Aurora, Illinois, in 1992.

Circus usage