And now for something completely different....

[Big_Boy_4005]

I was out with my camera Saturday afternoon at BNSF's Northtown yard. I was on the road bridge that crosses just north of the hump, snapping shots of the engine service facility, when I spotted this unusual car.



It says USDA at the top, and looks like it has 4 windows. Below the windows it says "Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration". Reporting marks FGWX 100000.

Any clues?

By the way, it ain't easy getting decent shots through a chainlink fence.[swg]

[CSXrules4eva]

That certainly is a very interesting looking car, I don't think I've ever seen anything like it, until now. All I can say here is that the reporting marks stand for Federal Grain Inspection Service.

[adrianspeeder]

Wow, never seen anything like it

[Anonymous]

Testing

[JoeKoh]

nice grab.thank you
stay safe
Joe

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csx-dispatcher

Testing

Testing yessss, but testing what? And why a converted box car? Feed grain perhaps? Wouldn't Uncle Sam do better with a tractor trailer rig, or is this oddball the government's big effort to save money and energy?[swg]

You're welcome guys. As always I enjoy sharing stuff with you.

The mystery is half the fun on this one.[;)]

[Junctionfan]

Looks like a really old mail car at one point.

[Anonymous]

Dealing with the USDA on a daily basis in the prodce world in Philly, I beleive they use this car as a "field office" during peak harvest times allowing more convenience to the commodity harvested. I would assume it would be located on a siding at large grain elevator. As for a tractor trailer rig, as mentioned above , a rail car removes the need for all the maintenence and overhead required on a rig. I'll ask someone there tomorrow....

[Anonymous]

I think we have a model project here.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lotus098

I think we have a model project here.

Glad I could help James, and you have been a model citizen all week. Keep up the good work, and have fun.[;)][^]

Unfortunately, I can't tell or show you what the other side looks like, but a little common sense says it has a door, perhaps mid car.[:p]

[Big_Boy_4005]

Well gang, on closer inspection of the photo, I noticed what the words under "Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration", said. "Weights and Measurements". It wasn't easy to see that part, even in the original, higher quality image. I had to do a little color replacement work to get it to the point where I could read it.

So, do we have a scale test car of sorts here, or is it office space, or both? It would make more sense if it was sent around to test rail scales at grain elevators, and wasn't just a mobile office.

By the way, there is a huge General Mills elevator less than 1000 feet from where I spotted this car.

I wonder how many of these the USDA has. The USDA depeatment name seems a little misleading. Livestock doesn't usually travel by rail anymore, does packaged or dressed meat?

[Anonymous]

Did you notice any indications that there were shackles bolted to the insides of the car....

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by equinox

Did you notice any indications that there were shackles bolted to the insides of the car....

Funny you should mention that, I was just thinking about the shackles this morning, and almost said something. This would be an excelent cover.[:0][:p]

[Jordan6]

OOHHH YA! I had that in my train a couple weeks ago. (MGALSUP) It was dark out so I couldn't get a good look at it when I made a shove, but I think my wheeler had it down as a scale car.

[FThunder11]

People probably just ride around in it and check the farms(just a guess)

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jordan6

OOHHH YA! I had that in my train a couple weeks ago. (MGALSUP) It was dark out so I couldn't get a good look at it when I made a shove, but I think my wheeler had it down as a scale car.

Cool, thanks Jordan. The railroad world is a small place. Mystery solved.[8D]

FThunder, I don't think people would want to ride around in this. It wouldn't be very comfortable in the middle of a freight train.

[Modelcar]

...Yes, I too wondered where the door is located. Surely for safety, there would be a door on both sides. Doesn't look like the end that's visible has any....

[vsmith]

SHACKLE-CAR????[:0]

USDA ? ITS PEOPLE!!!!![:0]

ya didnt hppen ta knock on the side did ya?[;)]

[edblysard]

Its a field office/ sample lab for food storage and elevator scale inspectors...and it is part of a switch cut, note the air hoses are not laced up...not part of a train.
Bet on it showing up along with a scale car some where else in the train, the inspectors will check the elevator for numerous things, along with checking the scale track and the scale mechanism proper.

One similar to this shows up out at Cargill Grain and Westway Trading, a grain elevator and Molasses trading company respectively, to check the scales and the equipment used to load/unload the cars, along with analyzing and taking samples.

Ed