If railroads are the circulatory system of the economy, the commodities it carries are its lifeblood. As the production and consumption of commodities like grain, coal, lumber, coil steel, cement, and more have evolved over the years, so have the railroad cars that haul them. This book shows you which cars carried which cargoes in the era you model. In Commodities by Freight Car, you'll learn: How all-purpose boxcars, gondolas, and fiats gave way to a dizzying variety of specialized freight cars for coil steel, lumber, flour, sugar, auto parts, and frozen foods, How freight handling has changed over the years, How the density of a lading affects the design of cars that carry it, How railroads handle hazardous cargoes such as chlorine and liquified petroleum gas (LPG), When car designs changed and why, Which experimental car designs worked to make transporting goods more efficient-and which failed, Where to find more information on every car type, Helpful modeling tips And more!.