Identify this car!

[88gta350]

I'm posting this on several different forums in hopes of getting an answer......

There is a railroad car(s) at my work that has sat there since I started 2 years ago. I hasn't moved, as we don't use our line unless we have a serious part coming in for repairs (It's a nuclear power plant). This "car" is actually two cars. Each half as a coupler on one end and... well, I think the pictures would do a better job of describing it. In between the two halves sits what appears to be a spare transformer of some type, although it doesn't really look like any other transformer on site. It appears the cars are supposed to somehow transport the "transformer" between them. I really have no idea. The cars have a build plate on them that says "Built By Maxson". I have more pics of the cars if you need them, but most are just different angles, nothing new... so, here are the pics... can anyone identify what this car is and just what it is used for?

First is an overall side view of one of the halves:


This is the non-coupler end of one half:


A wider angle of the non-coupler end:


An overall shot of both halves with the transformer situated bewteen:


Another side shot:


The "BUILT BY MAXSON" plate:


A different angle of the non-coupler end:


Any help would be appreciated. I'll try to ask around at work and see if anyone knows what it's for. I thought you guys would appriciate seeing an unusual car.

[Eddystone]

It is a schnabel car for moving electric transformers. You are correct, it is a spare transformer. The transformer gets pinned at the bottom with one of the cars on each end. Also some cars have a hydralic system that can raise, lower, and swing each car to aid in loading and obstacles that might be encountered en route. In the forth picture down you can see the transformer behined the car with the other car behined it. The trans. has a temporary *** built around it to catch cooling oil if it should leak. Were these pictures taken at Three Mile Island nuclear plant?

[88gta350]

The pictures were indeed taken at TMI. Judging by your screenname, I'd take a wild guess that you're at Eddystone.

[Eddystone]

I just work out of Eddystone. I was working at TMI right before and on 9/11 switching out transformers. They came in on rail and that car was there at the time.