40-ton Railway Flatcar
This 40-ton wooden decked flatcar, manufactured by American Car and Foundry in the 1940s, was used to transport up to 80,000 pounds of cargo on domestic (US) railways. Made of a metal frame with oak planking for the floor, this is one of thousands built for military use. The increase in the weight of equipment and material meant an increase in the load capacity of flatcars. The 40-ton flatcars would be replaced with cars of 50-ton and later 100-ton capacity which are still in use today.
The coupling system was later modified, making it a "universal" or "combination" car, with European hook-and-link on one end and US automatic couplers on the other. This is essential in the movement of the museum's other European cars with US locomotives.
Erected by US Army Transportation Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • War, World II.
Location. 37° 9.984′ N, 76° 34.485′ W. Marker is in Newport News, Virginia. It is in Fort Eustis. It can be reached from Washington Boulevard just south of Madison Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 Washington Blvd, Fort Eustis VA 23604, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula, in Hampton Roads, in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other
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Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 28, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 713 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 28, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
