What would you consider the five freight/work cars everyone should have in their collection??

My 5 would be....

Crane and boom car

Ballast car, with tool car (not good picture of tool car behind the ballast car)

And a Jordan plow,

Plus a few flat cars and tank cars and gons.

The caboose.  After that, you have options.

@Jeff T, Jeff, here’s some cars for consideration in making up a work train, great Question. Happy Railroading Everyone

Well based on the fact that a lot of us got started on this journey with trains at Christmas I've always been partial to these five:

Tank car

Hopper

Gondola

Reefer

And to round out the list, a flatcar

While I know they are all older and all Lionel these are what got me started on my hobby so they will always exist on my layout in one iteration or another.

Jerry

A crane and work caboose top the list. After that anything goes depending on the job at hand.

Flats, gondolas, tankers, crew cars, ore cars, and the list goes on.

Can't forget track cleaning cars.....(for 1:48 scale only) 😉

and motive power of course....

The LIRR uses an old M3 commuter car that they stripped out to house their equipment for wheel slip from leaves each Fall. Its pulled around the system by a pair of MP-15DC's similar to my K-line model.

Bob

I really like wood-sided reefers, single sheathed boxcars, and composite hoppers and gondolas.

They typically have more detail and a certain charm about them.

Jeff,

Not sure if you are asking about cars for a short freight train, like a local, or for cars to make up a work train.  Also, is the caboose/cabin one of the five?  I will assume not.

For a freight, you need one of each of these: boxcar, gondola, hopper (covered or open), tank, reefer, and flatcar (okay, 6 cars).  Make sure the caboose is from the same road as the engine.

OR

If you are thinking of a work train, it can be made up of most anything depending on the work needed to be done.  In the model world, some options are:  Tool, kitchen, bunk, crain/support car (condola), hopper, tank, flat w/wheels or complete trucks.  All cars and engine should be from the same road.

If you are looking for track cleaners, there are several types available.  Here are three types:

I hate these kind of questions. You are asking for opinions and you know the saying about opinions  😂🤣😂🤣

Actually it depends on what you model, how you operate (strict RR rules and schedules or just fun operation and everything in between) the size of your layout, and budget. I just want to see people having fun with this hobby where almost anything is possible.

BTW hoppers, lots of hoppers, gotta move that coal  😀

Larry

Don’t know about five, but you’ve GOT to have a work caboose!!!

Beer Reefer

Odd question but here ya go ...

https://steves3roscale.shutterfly.com/pictures/27597

In the Houston area, due to all the petrochemical plants, you see a lot, and I mean a lot of tank cars carrying all different types of stuff.  I've been buying those recently.

I think l read some large roads kept a wreck train ready to go, to quickly clear the line, while MOW trains were put together with whatever cars were needed.  Snow plows were a biggie on mountain roads, and small lines, with borrowed plows, and other equipment, (cranes after accidents),  could show other roads' logos.  I have, not lately, seen a beat up wooden combine coach as the apparent "caboose". And combines/coaches have been cut up various ways to haul equipment or serve as crane tender.  This is from steam era.. today...?  I think l read that the crane was hauled with boom to the rear, but wonder if weight put it followed by its tender at front? Would guess rules applied.

@LLKJR posted:

I hate these kind of questions. You are asking for opinions and you know the saying about opinions  😂🤣😂🤣

Actually it depends on what you model, how you operate (strict RR rules and schedules or just fun operation and everything in between) the size of your layout, and budget. I just want to see people having fun with this hobby where almost anything is possible.

BTW hoppers, lots of hoppers, gotta move that coal  😀

Larry

Let me help you out. No layout, no RR rules, no budget, nothing in particular modeled, just trying to have fun during the Holidays and at our Club open houses...

Interesting question, Jeff. Only, as shown in your thread so far, lots of opinions.

Since I’m more of an operator than a collector, I like a variety of cars in freight trains. So, my five include box cars, reefers, hoppers (covered and open), tank cars, and flat cars (with loads).

My work train consists of a crane, idler car, rail car, flat car with wheel sets, and work caboose and an older E Unit NW2 loco to pull it.  As to a nostalgia consist, Baby Ruth box car, Sunoco tank car, Lionel Lines gondola, and a Lionel Lines 6017 caboose.

For a work train you need a

Lionel tmcc crane and tender car,mth difco dump car, gondola flat car and a work caboose and a mth scale Jordan Spreader.

A crane was hauled with the boom toward the rear of the train I think because if it swung a little and hit something, it would be knocked back in line rather than swinging farther and causing a derailment.    I also think the wind and motor of the train tended to keep it over the tender.

In the steam era, a steam crane would most likely have its own tender - might be painted the RR MOW color which on Pennsy Steam era was a medium grey - the yellow was more modern.  

Old baggage cars and boxcars served as "tool" cars.    Some flat cars would be needed to haul some ties or timbers to support the out riggers on the crane. 

A number of other cars have already been mentioned.

As they say in drag racing, “run what you brung”.

Have fun and enjoy this great pass time.

Weston

@CAPPilot posted:

Huh? Who made this car? They fabricated a mirror image of the side.

@Matt_GNo27 posted:

Huh? Who made this car? They fabricated a mirror image of the side.

Not sure what you meant by the comment, but it is Lionel like the tool and bunk cars.

@CAPPilot posted:

Not sure what you meant by the comment, but it is Lionel like the tool and bunk cars.

Look at the ladder on the left side, it doesn't go anywhere. It should be on the right side and the two grab irons on the left.

Animated boxcar, milk car, merchandise car, log dump car, coal dump car.

I interpret the OP question to actually be two questions.  

1. 5 cars essential to a work train  

2.) 5 cars essential to a freight train.

To answer question one;  it depends the era being modeled and on the type of work train ... wreck train ... tie and rail replacement train, general MOW work train that cleans up debris, clears culverts, ... weed sprayer train, ... or snow removal train.  Most of these work trains would share some common cars ( ie: gondola, flat, and box cars ) while other cars would be job specific for the purpose of that train.  

Again it depends on the era being modeled ( if any ) and the needs of your specific railroad.  I don't want to impose my opinion on others.  These are the cars I have ( and additional cars as well ) which comprise my work trains since I model the transition era 1946 - 1959/60.  

To answer question two; the most common freight cars .. boxcar ... flat car .., gondola ... tank car.  Of course the 6th common type of freight car being the hopper in both covered and open forms.  

I've posted some photos of work train equipment on The Free State Junction Railway.

Big Hook for wreck trains  and other types of heavy lifting.

Gondola car for carrying ties, booms, rails, blocking for the Big Hook, and other MOW equipment and heavy tools.

A short MOW train used for cleaning up debris alongside the track.  A work caboose brings up the rear.

Tool and materials cars can have a multitude of purposes ... storage, machine/carpentry/electrical shop, office, bunk car for MOW workers, kitchen car.  

Crane car with gondola being used as cradle for the boom.  I do have a crane tender but no photos of it. A work caboose brings up the rear.

Snow removal trains are usually  pushing a plow of one kind or another.  Here is a flanger pushing snow.  In summer months the flanger can be used to spread ballast on newly laid rail/ties. Rotary snow plow for those really pounding storms that leave mega depths of snow to deep for a flanger to push away.  

Jet powered snow blower for blowing snow from switches. ( this car may be a stretch beyond my modeling era but I do like it )  

A welding car.  

Although only four cars, my work train is always sitting on a siding in the yard ready to go.  Circa 1955 cars from my first train set, landscaping by my grandson.