3rail - Service Cars

General Info

Note that the prototype-alongside-model photos on this page were selected only as initiations to the varied car types that can be found in each category.

Steam Generator and Head End Power Cars

Not required if all cars in the train can be supplied from the engine.

| Head End Power Car (*.jpg)

Steam Generator Car (*.jpg)

Portable Substation Car for electric railways (*.pdf)

Air Repeater Car (*.pdf)

Caboose

Note that all cabooses are bi-directional, but a few might not be equipped with a bed or toilet (transfer/work cabooses for example). They have been almost completely replaced with FREDs, except under long reverse runs.

Cabooses (*.pdf)

| Roofwalk era Caboose (*.jpg)

Drovers' Caboose-combine.pdf (*.pdf) - {or substitute a normal bay window roofwalk caboose mid-train for drover use}

Traction Cabeese for electric railways (*.pdf)

Dormitory Car

While a Caboose can be slept in, its primary function is to be a look-out cabin. Dormitory cars are designed specifically as sleeping quarters, while Bunk cars will also have a bathroom, kitchenette, and tool space.

High Speed Dormitory-combine Car (*.pdf)

| Pullman Troop Sleeper (*.pdf)

| Bunk Car (*.jpg)

Camp Cars as rolling scenery (*.pdf)

Track Maintenance equipment

Maintenance-of-Way rollingstock (*.pdf)

| Ballast Tamper (*.jpg)

| Weed Sprayer (*.jpg)

| Catenary Maintenance Car for electric railways (*.jpg) - {platform raises and rotates}

| Hy-Rail Inspection Vehicle (*.jpg) - {preferable over a Hand Car}

Snow Clearance and Wildfire Fighting equipment

| Snow Clearance Rollingstock (*.jpg) - {self-propelled snow blower and icicle breaker car}

| Snow Plow (*.jpg)

| Wildfire Fighting Rollingstock (*.jpg) - {water pumper and water tank cars}

Wreck Clearance equipment

Cranes may require refueling in the field (so the wreck clearance train may need to bring a diesel fuel tanker or a coal/water tender).

The Wreck Train (*.pdf)

| Generator Car (*.jpg) - {needed at remote work sites}

| Crane (*.jpg)

| Crane Tender (*.jpg)

The Wreck Trains job is to quickly get a crew to an accident scene in order to clear the tracks of blockage, which is done by moving debris off the tracks and performing temporary fixes to get damaged cars moving again. Any cleanup or repairs will later be performed by regular work crews. Besides the wrecker crane, a wreck clearance train will include a car with necessary tools, as well as perhaps a car carrying spare sections of prefabricated track (e.g., rails already connected with some metal ties, which looks similar to antique Lionel sectional track) and/or entire assembled rollingstock truck units for swapping.

Military Owned

Nonrevenue Service Cars