Choo Choose The Railroad Vehicle 2 Quiz

Answer: Reefer

Also called refrigerator cars, reefers are different from insulated and ventilated boxcars because they are equipped with some sort of cooling mechanism. They can be cooled with ice, carbon dioxide (also known as dry ice), or may be outfitted with a refrigerator system.

The first refrigerator cars, which used ice as a coolant, were used in the 1850s in an attempt to transport perishable goods, such as dairy and meat, to market before they could spoil.

Answer: Combine Car

On a combine car, used mostly in North America, there are accommodations for both freight (usually in the form of passenger luggage) and passengers. It is typically used on short trips, where it is more economical to carry passengers and their baggage in the same car.

It is also known as a coach-baggage. Another example of the combine car is the coach-RPO, which has room for passengers and a railway post office.

Answer: Gondola

In Australia gondolas are called open wagons. These cars are used for carrying items such as steel plates or coils; sometimes even sections of train tracks are mounted on gondola cars. Originally made to carry coal, gondolas had lower side walls that made unloading the cargo a bit easier.

As technology improved, the sides on a gondola were raised, which allowed a larger load to be hauled, because mechanical ways of unloading were available.

Answer: Stock Car

Also called a cattle car or cattle wagon, a stock car has ventilated sides to allow air for the animals to circulate. A stock car can have an open construction to accommodate larger animals, such as cattle or horses, or it can be made in different levels to accommodate many row of smaller animals, such as chickens, and pigs.

There are even stock cars especially designed to carry live fish! Who doesn't love to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus railroad train, still in use today, with its specialty cars built to haul elephants!

Answer: Schnabel Car

In a Schnabel car, especially built for oversized, tall, and heavy loads, the huge load makes up part of the car. Used in North America, the weight of the cargo is distributed among many wheels. When the Schnabel car is empty, it can travel at the same rate of speed as the other railway vehicles; when it is full, however, it may only travel at 25 miles per hour - or slower depending on the load.

Answer: Derrick Car

On a derrick car, the crane, which is on a rotating body, is usually mounted to a heavy-duty flatcar. Used for moving freight in the train yard, railway track maintenance, or clearing away debris left behind by accidents and derailments, the derrick car, also called a wrecking derrick or big hook, is an very important piece of railway equipment, and was also useful in constructing bridges and other structures.

Answer: Tub

The tub, also called a quarry tub, was used to haul minerals such as coal, sand, clay, or stone, from the quarry to industrial sites for use in manufacturing. Typically the tubs were designed so that they could be unloaded by being tipped on their side. These days, the use of conveyor belts have made quarry tubs obsolete.

Answer: Bilevel Car

In England a bilevel car would be known as a double-decker train; in other countries it would be called a dostos. The two levels of passenger seating make it possible, of course, to carry twice the typical number of commuters. These cars may ease logistics problems by reducing the number of trains that run and the number of cars that a train must pull; there is typically, however, an increase in the vehicle's dwell time, the time spent at a terminal, due to more people needing to disembark or board the train.

Answer: Boxcar

Also called a van or covered wagon, the boxcar is considered to be the most versatile of the railway vehicles because it can carry just about anything. Usually used for loads that have to be protected from the elements, boxcars have sliding doors on the side. Even though specialty cars, such as stock cars, coal cars, and grain hoppers, may work better in transporting their loads, the boxcar can accommodate almost any cargo.

Answer: Crew Car

A crew car, which is also called an outfit car or bunk car, is a passenger car which provides accommodations for the train's crew members. The car typically includes sleeping quarters, a kitchen, laundry, and bathroom. Used primarily on long distance railways trips in Australia, the cars are usually air-conditioned and are equipped with their own electric generator.