Freight Car Photos of the Teen's and Twenties

Collected here are links to photographs available in online collections that feature freight car images that may be of use to railroad historians and modelers, with a focus on Pre-Depression era revenue freight equipment. These same collections may also post later images, but those have not been generally cataloged here.

Typically, these are selections from immense collections, not all of which are applicable to freight car research or modeling.  Inclusion in these lists requires a judgement call.  Generally speaking, if I can read the car number, it goes in the list.  But, that is not an absolute requirement.  The "choice" images that show good broadsides or 3/4 views of the entire car are marked with an asterix.  The initial alpha-numeric code is the collection's negative number.

John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library: AC&F Collection
First series Lots: beginning-1925
Second series Lots: 1925-end
Boston Public Library: Leslie Jones Collection
Boston & Maine RR Historic Society on Flickr
Duke University Construction
Durham Museum
Miami Conservancy District
Steamtown DL&W & ERIE Photos Image Series A, 1908-19
Image Series B, 1905-18
Image Series C, 0000-1999, 1906-14
Image Series C, 2000-2999, 1914-15
Image Series C, 3000-3999, 1915-more work
Image Series C, 4000-4999, 19- work-18
Image Series C, 5000-5999, and Others, 1918-19, 1910-55
Image Series D, F, G, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, & U, most undated, but pre 1911
Image Series X, 0000-1999, 1906-21
Image Series X, 2000-3999, 1921-25
Image Series X, 4000-4999, 1925-26
Image Series X, 5000-5999, 1926-27
Image Series X, 6000-6999, 1928-29
Image Series X, 7000-, 1930-32
University of Kentucky: various collections
University of Pittsburgh: P&LE collection and others
Miscellaneous Images

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Posted 2/2/17.  Updated 3/19/23.  Maintained by Earl Tuson