American Flyer Freight Cars were produced from 1946 to 1966. During this 20 year span, approximately 200 different freight cars were produced. A freight car is any type of train car that is used to haul goods or effectively all cars that DON’T haul passengers.
There are 9 key categories of American Flyer Freight Cars:
American Flyer Box Cars
American Flyer Refrigerator Cars
American Flyer Stock Cars
American Flyer Crane and Work cars
American Flyer Cabooses
American Flyer Tank Cars
American Flyer Flat Cars
American Flyer Gondola Cars
American Flyer Hopper Cars
Each of these categories had different functions for the railroad and businesses that relied on them.
American Flyer Box Cars were used to haul all kinds of things of things that needed to be protected from the weather. These included grains, manufactured goods, clothing, finished products etc. Some great examples of manufactures who used American Flyer Box Cars include the Great Northern Box Car that would have been used to haul corn or wheat.
American Flyer Refrigerator Cars were used to haul items that needed to stay cool at all times. These would have included more produce type items like oranges, apples, meat, or other produce that made its way from farms and farm coops to processors and urban centers.
American Flyer Stock cars were used to handle livestock from farm to processing centers. These would have included pigs, horses, cattle, chicken and other livestock.
American Flyer Crane and Workcars served a key purpose of building and maintaining the railroad lines. They generally operated out of work yards or repair yards of the main railroad operators.
American Flyer Cabooses housed the conductor who would keep track of all of the cars and goods on board the train as well as the brake man whose job it was to make sure the train could stop as necessary.
American Flyer Tank Cars transported a variety of things including chemicals such as Ethylene, Chlorine, Milk or other liquid based goods between producers and manufactures.
American Flyer Flat Cars carried anything that could be bolted down. This included steel, logs, beams, tractors, automobiles, engines etc. Flat cars were a versatile way to transport odd sized objects across the country.
American Flyer Gondola Cars were used for metal scrap, coal, barrels, gravel, etc. Gondola Cars were a key way to get raw goods to market.
American Flyer Hopper Cars were used for hauling denser and heavier items than traditional Gondola Cars. Hoppers also have doors that could be opened beneath to quickly load and unload coal, cement, and other heavy raw materials.
All of these cars represented the key America Flyer Freight car series that make up the main purpose of the railroad. Each type helped produces and manufacturers transport key raw and finished materials to market and become the engine of the economy.