Have you ever been out by the tracks and thought to yourself, "Wow, I never knew they transported that by train?"
Below are a few examples of unusual cargo that has been shipped by train.
Airline Parts
The Boeing company regularly ships parts of planes by rail between the manufacturing plants and their customers. In fact, they even own dedicated and specialized railcars with the railroad reporting marks of TBCX (The Boeing Company). Along with TBCX, the numbers on the railcar represent what type of plane the parts are for. In the photo with the fuselage, you are able to tell that this is a 737 - TCBX 737038 (Part for a 737 - on railcar number 038).
Boeing Company also uses boxcars to ship other plane parts to their customers. These containers are labeled the same as the specialty fuselage railcars.
Rocket Boosters
If you have ever seen a rocket booster up close, you will agree that it is ginormous! So how does one transport a ginormous piece of equipment from its manufacturer in Utah to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida? By train - of course!
Read the article by Union Pacific to learn about this process: Rockets by Rail: A Stellar Achievement.
Wind Turbine Blades
With renewable energy becoming more popular and the need to transport large pieces of equipment from the manufacturer to the installation location being a reality, railroads have once again come up with an efficient, cost effective and safe way to transport things such a wind turbine blades.
Read Union Pacific's article on how they transport wind turbine blades: Can You Ship Wind Turbines by Train?
Poop (Yes, I said, "Poop!")
Check out the following article to see what New York City did with their "poop". Glad I don't live close to that poor Alabama town! Reeking ‘Poop Train’ Of NYC Human Waste Wreaks Havoc On Alabama Town - TPM – Talking Points Memo
Alaska Railroad
The following web page has photos of many unusual things that the Alaska Railroad has transported over the years. A concrete mixing truck on a railcar with its barrel turning away? Yep! Strange Freight on Alaska Railroad
Railroads do carry very unusual cargo at times, so while you are out railfanning, keep your eyes open for the unique shipments that may be on the train. And as always, "THINK SAFETY"! And if you do get a pic of something unusual, drop us a line and let us know about it.