What is thrall car?

A thrall car, also known as a well car, is a type of railway freight car designed to transport intermodal containers. It is characterized by its low profile, with the cargo well situated between the two sets of wheels. This design allows for taller containers to be transported, as the cargo well can accommodate the height of the containers while the wheels remain at a low level.

Thrall was a prominent manufacturer of railroad cars in the United States, particularly freight cars. The company produced a variety of car types, including boxcars, gondolas, flatcars, and well cars. Thrall well cars were widely used to transport containers on some of the largest railroads in the U.S., including Union Pacific, BNSF, and Norfolk Southern.

The name "thrall car" comes from the company that first produced this type of car, Thrall Car Manufacturing Company, founded in 1917 in Chicago. The company continued to produce railcars until it was acquired by Trinity Industries in 2001 and merged with TrinityRail. Despite the change in ownership, the name thrall car has become a widely recognized term in the railroad industry for this specific type of freight car.