Explaining Every Type of Train Railcar

Engineer Grady Hillhouse of Practical Engineering takes a quick deep dive into the different types of railcars for all sorts of trains, including passenger, freight, and cargo, explaining how each car is designed and how it is used. He also notes the wonderfully complex simplicity of locomotive transportation and even has a handy checklist to identify railcars.

A train is a simple thing at first glance:  a locomotive (or several) pull a string of cars along a railroad. But not all those railcars are equal, and there are some fascinating details if you take minute to notice their differences. 

Hillhouse also created Infrastructure Road Trip Bingo, a wonderful game that puts passenger observation skills to the test.

Our brains have a stupendous capacity to ignore all the fascinating details that are hidden in plain sight, and road trips are the perfect opportunity to open your mind’s eye. Infrastructure Road Trip Bingo is just what it sounds like: a spotting game to play with your fellow passengers. Each sheet has 24 engineered structures that you might see on a typical road trip. Some you’re sure to spot. Some you might need to try and influence the driver to take a special detour.