Boxcar, 40 Foot, Steel Double Door

History: Steel boxcars became a common site in the post-WWII period (also known as the transition era). Steel construction resulted in a lighter, lower-maintenance car that was less expensive to acquire and operate. The economies of scale that happened during the war along with a cessation of orders from the military resulted in a plentiful, inexpensive source of metal and aluminum for the railcar manufacturers which in turn led a complete replacement of the aging wood-sheathed fleets with new steel cars.

One common variation of the ubiquitous 40 foot steel boxcar was the double-sliding door variation. This configuration allowed for easier loading and unloading of larger objects. A common use-case was automobile transportation. In the modern era, we are used to seeing huge autoracks with up to three levels of cars stacked one on top of the other, but back during the transition era, these beasts did not exist, and car were loaded onto boxcars with this special door configuration. Although this type of car was used for other bulky objects, they were frequently labeled 'Automobile' on the sides to clearly indicate to potential customers that the railroad had the capacity to transport this large bulky objects with their fleet.

Railroad/Company: This set of items is comprised of more than one name. Please look at the component items for details on the specific roadnames and/or manufacturers.