# Really unique bunk car......



## wvlemay (Dec 27, 2007)

While watching **** on Wheels last night, there was a scene that had several double height, 2 story bunk cars on a siding with guy lines tied off to keep the prairie winds from tipping them over.. I've been in the books for better than 50 years, and have not run into these anywhere....... This car would have to be 15-18 feet tall, and probably limited to central plains railroads, and assuming standard gauge. Obviously this car would have been a poor choice for use on Eastern or Western lines that have tunnels and bridges. Also, if these were even practical enough to survive the harshness of rail life, overhead wires would probably have been the final demise for use anywhere.

Does anyone know if this is prototypical, or is it TV fiction? I've watched this show with an eye on architectural details, and the show has been extremely accurate in most cases.

If its based in reality, I will probably build a couple for my MOW siding module, where they would be permanently fixed at a base camp (finally, a perfect use for those plastic wheeled trucks that are accumulating in the scrap box....

It would be a nice share-forward once I got the drawings and some pix done....

Any info would be appreciated . . all opinions are always tolerated .......

Warren
East Stroudsburg PA


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## Cooke (Aug 26, 2012)

I remember seeing what you describe when learning about the transcontinental railroad as a kid and was able to find this with a google search. 

http://railroad.lindahall.org/essays/cultural-impacts.html


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi 

Those 'multi storey' bunk cars are on the Union Pacific when building across the Prairies, thus no height limits; the basic design has been used by many railroads including some logging railroads.

Put 'railroad 'bunk' cars into Google images for some photos not of the UP ones alas but they can be extrapolated from the photos shown.

The D&RG to mention just one railroad had a whole fleet of them, generally following the design of boxcars, later old boxcars and old passenger cars were regularly used in MOW service, another name for them is 'work Cars'.

Also try entering early work or bunk cars into Google for more images

Yours Peter.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

U mean something like this?











They were called Dormitory Cars, and they were used on the routes to cross the prairies by UP and a few other RRs as well (this isn't UP) and yes, they did tie them down to keep them from blowing over in the winds.


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