The Different Types of Model Railway Trains
When you think about model railway trains, what is the first image you see? It’s probably a miniature form of an actual railway train. Moreover, the picture you’ve imagined is probably not just the locomotive by itself. The train more closely resembles a long snake with many railroad cars attached together.
You’re probably asking, “What does this have to do with model trains, right?” When people refer to model trains, they are referring to the locomotive and the railroad cars. The locomotive is the motor or engine that powers the entire train along the tracks; the railroad cars are the cars coupled to the locomotive that collectively forms the train.
Just like the real train, the replica must serve a purpose. After all, it would be odd to see a single locomotive chugging along the train track by itself. The railroad cars attached to the locomotive serve one of two primary, revenue-generating purposes. The train is either transporting passengers or freight from one location to another. This sounds simple enough so far, but most people are not familiar with the different types of railroad cars. Let’s explore the different types of railway cars in each category.
First, let’s take a closer look at passenger cars. The passenger-carrying cars have different functions and configurations. For instance, the following examples below highlight different types of passenger cars:
- Coach – This is the most common passenger car where the interior rows of chairs are similar to the interior of a commercial passenger airplane. Two specific examples of this type of railway car are mass transit systems and long distance luxury trains.
- Dining Car – This car resembles a long, narrow restaurant and provides full-service, sit down meals to passengers. This car is also referred to as a restaurant car or a diner.
- Lounge – A lounge car is also known as a buffet or club car. This type of car is different because there is more space for passengers to move around, socialize, enjoy the view, purchase food from a grill, or order drinks from a bar. Some lounge cars even feature live music to entertain the passengers.
- Observation – This is the last car in a passenger train. The main feature of this railway car is the tail end of the car; it is U-shaped and features larger windows. This design allows the passenger to enjoy the views.
- Sleeping Car – This car was also called a “sleeper” or “Pullman car”. These cars provide sleeping facilities for riders travelling overnight.
A freight car (also called goods wagon) are used to transport freight. There are a wide variety of freight cars. Some of the more common types include:
- Box Car – The box car has a roof and doors either at the side or end. It is also known as a covered wagon or goods van in the UK. This type of car is used to carry general freight.
- Hoppers – This type of freight car is used to transport commodities such as coal, iron ore, grain, sugar, fertilizer, etc. The hopper can either be an open or covered design.
- Stock Cars – The stock car transports livestock such as cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and poultry.
- Refrigerator Cars (also called reefers) – A reefer is simply a refrigerated box car.
- Tank Wagons (also called tank cars) – This car transports liquid or gaseous commodities such as milk, gasoline, liquid hydrogen, etc.
As one can see, the model train enthusiast has a lot of choices when it comes to designing the train. This is definitely one of the reasons why this hobby is so appealing to many. You may even feel the urge to go out and build your very own model railway train!
Note: If you enjoyed reading this article, you might also be interested in reading, Model Train Secrets Exposed.
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