TM 55-203
CHAPTER 2
TYPES OF ARMY-OWNED CARS
use by the Transportation Railway Service (TRS) during
2-1. General
World War II. For use in theaters of operations where
narrow-gage tracks (39 3/8-inch and 42-inch)
Railway cars are generally identified by type as house
predominated, 8-wheel, 4-axle boxcars, flatcars,
cars, open-top cars, flatcars, tank cars, passenger cars,
gondolas, and tank cars of 30-ton capacity were
and special-purpose cars. Each car unit within these
designed After World War II, action. was initiated by the
categories actually is an, assembly of various
Chief of Transportation to develop railway equipment to
components, and each component has a definite
fit railway operating conditions in world areas considered
function and place. These components are discussed in
strategically important. During 1951-53, to meet urgent
succeeding chapters. Within the types, there are many
military railway service requirements, a large number of
kinds of cars. The most common house cars are
US type standard-gage freight cars, including
boxcars and refrigerator cars. Passenger cars include
refrigerator cars, were constructed and sent to Korea.
coaches, sleepers, diner or kitchen cars, guard cars, etc.
From 1966 to 1968, metergage gondolas, flatcars, and
any type that transports personnel. Army-owned rolling
refrigerator cars (fig. 2-1 and 2-2) were built and sent to
stock, worldwide, includes cars of all the types
Vietnam. Limiting factors such as track gage and
discussed herein.
allowable axle-load, restricted by track and bridge load
limits and clearance dimensions, have affected oversea
2-2. Cars for Conus Service
fleet car dimensions and design capacity. This problem
was solved by the development of the multigage truck
In the continental United States (CONUS), Department
and axle whereby the wheels may be pressed in or out,
of Defense (DOD)-owned freight and passenger cars,
to fit the various track gages.
This led to the
including Army Medical Department ambulance cars,
development of the knockdown fleet-standard-gage cars
troop kitchen cars, and guard cars, are constructed in
(56 1/2 inches) to broad gage (60, 63, and 66 inches)
conformance with Association of American Railroads
with a capacity of 40 tons, and narrow-gage cars (36, 39
(AAR) and Department of Transportation (DOT)
3/8, and 42 inches) with 30-ton capacity. Both fleets,
specifications so as to be readily movable in
the 30and 40-ton, include flatcars, boxcars, gondolas,
interchange service. The major portion of DOD-owned
and tank cars. Field and depot maintenance repair parts
cars in CONUS consists of heavy duty flatcars and the
lists, special tool lists and assembly instructions for this
tank car fleet Use and movement of these cars are
type of railway rolling stock are contained in technical
controlled by the Military Traffic Management and
manuals of the TM 55-2220-series.
Terminal Service (MTMTS).
b.
Passenger-Type Cars. During World War
2-3. Cars for Oversea Service
II, one oversea train of 10 ambulance cars was shipped
to Europe. These were not passenger type cars. They
a.
Freight Cars. In foreign countries, low
were an experimental freight-car type which proved
capacity cars (15 to 20 tons, 4-wheel, 2-axle) are
inadequate
Thereafter, throughout the war, all
standard. During World War II, a shortage of available
ambulance service was accomplished with converted
shipping and the necessity for saving shipping space
indigenous passenger-type equipment Development of
brought about the hurried design of knocked-down cars
ambulance train cars for oversea service since has
patterned after European cars. These and a few 40-ton
resulted in the construction of pilot models of one
flatcars, boxcars, gondolas, and tank cars of modified
ambulance car, one personnel car, and one kitchen
American 8wheeled type made up the standard gage
dining-storage car.
(5,6 1/ 2-in-ch) cars produced and sent to Europe for
2-1
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