Choo Choose the Railroad Vehicle! Quiz

Answer: Locomotive

The locomotive, also called the engine, does not carry a load of its own; its job is to move a train along the tracks. Typically the locomotive is the first vehicle of the train, however, some trains may locate the locomotive in the back - which is called a push-pull operation - or may ever have one in front and one in back.

Answer: Baggage Car

The baggage car traditionally is placed after the locomotive. While passengers are not allowed in the car, it sometimes contains restroom facilities for the train's workers. Many times the inside of a baggage car is wide open and looks like the other box cars.

Answer: Hopper

There are two types of hoppers. A covered hopper has a roof and is used to haul loose commodities like grain that could spoil if exposed to the air. An open hopper car does not have a roof. Both types of hoppers have doors that open either on the sides or underneath used for dumping the cargo.

Answer: Caboose

The design of the caboose has changed over time; however, the purpose of the projection seen on the top or side of the vehicle is to protect crew members who are watching for shifts in the train cargo and also equipment problems. It can also be used as the office for the train conductor, offering sleeping and cooking accommodations.

Answer: Dining Car

Also called the restaurant car or diner, the dining car looks like a small restaurant where people can sit at either tables or booths. Some of the other passenger vehicles might have a snack bar or grill car, but in a dining car one will be able to purchase the type of food found in a full-service restaurant.

Answer: Tank car

Also called a tank wagon, a tank car carries liquids, such as milk or fuel, or gaseous substances, such as liquid hydrogen or pressurized gas. Typically a tank car has to be specially constructed in order to hold the commodity it is carrying. For example, it may be made of or lined with glass, plastic, or stainless steel.

It is customary for the tank cars to be owned by the companies that use them, rather than the railroad.

Answer: Couchette Car

During the day a couchette car has the appearance of a normal passenger car; there are bench seats along each side of the vehicle. As evening approaches, an attendant will convert the benches into sleeping bunks, and provide each passenger with a pillow, sheet, and blanket.

The seat of the bench is the lower bunk, and the back is turned and serves as the upper bunk. Not as fancy as other sleeping cars, the couchette car does not always segregate by sex and the customers usually sleep in their clothes, only taking off their shoes!

Answer: Refrigerator Car

Also called a reefer, a refrigerator car is outfitted with a cooling apparatus, unlike ventilated and insulated boxcars that can carry fruits and vegetables that have more than a fourteen day shelf life. Kept cool with ice or dry ice, items that require some sort of regulated temperature would include avocados, cut flowers, and meat products, while those which require an express reefer have a shelf life of less than seven days, such as milk or fish.

Answer: Coil Car

A type of gondola car, which is an open-top railway vehicle, a coil car is designed to carry sheet metal, usually steel. Typically three troughs are featured in this vehicle to hold the coils of metal which are set on their sides, and are lined with wood or other material to help protect the cargo. Hoods are used to cover the load when needed.

Answer: Well Car

Also called a double-stack car or double car, a well car is made so that it efficiently carries containers. The well is the part of the vehicle that sits close to the rails; this allows the container to be carried lower than on another vehicles, such as flatcars. Since the load is carried lower, it is possible to stack another container on top! No worries! The top container is attached somehow to the lower container so that it doesn't come loose or fly off! In addition, special care is taken to make sure the well car has enough clearance to go under bridges and tunnels.