Text 2 Ventilated wagons.

It has been noticed for a long time that in the case of vegetables and fruit, the temperature is increased not only due to outside factors, but to the biological processes which occur in these vegetables after they have been harvested.

Aerated or ventilated wagons have openings sited in different positions in such a way as to allow air to circulate through the goods either by external ventilation or by the convection of the air itself.

These wagons have the advantage that their specialization, which technically is limited, also makes them suitable for carrying other goods normally loaded in ordinary covered wagons.

Text 3 Open wagons.

These wagons are intended above all to reduce the run empty mileage, and their specialization aims at offering the advantages of various types of wagons.

The open wagons combine the advantages of wide openings of open wagons and the protection given to the freight which is the characteristic of covered wagons.

For example, it if possible to design large openings on a covered wagon closed by shutters to allow room for loading and unloading palletized goods. A subsequent development was to make all the sides completely sliding, dividing them into several portions, to enable bulky units, which have to be transported protected from the weather, to be loaded easily. Openings can also be made in the roof and sides at the same time, but the most highly developed solution merely allows the whole roof to open.

In this case, starting with a covered wagon, it is possible to make its roof moveable, or to add a sliding roof of the traditional wagon sheets to a high-sided open wagon.

Text 4 Self-Discharging Wagons.

A smaller type of moveable unit than a container is a hopper or a tank, fitted on a special wagon and tipped for loading and unloading. This, however, is a type which is used on certain lines or by certain special industries.

The whole body can move or tip. This is generally done by special devices on the vehicle itself. Such devices, however, require some motive power to drive them and some means to anchor them to the rail.

In certain cases, it has been found more practicable to tip the whole wagon, which has to be fitted with tipping or removable sides.

Greenbrier Europe and DB Cargo, Germany, have together launched a new four-axle flat wagon for transporting metal plates. The Sips-u 725 series plate transformation wagon features rotating platforms to secure loads of different gauges.

This wagon is 22m long and has a loading length of 19m and a variable loading width from 2.83m to 5.5m. Each loading platform consists of a welded frame, with the transom having adjustable slide bolts installed for bedding and cramping the metal plates.

It is possible to rotate each loading platform from the horizontal using hydraulic cylinders. The centre platform can be rotated by 60⁰ and the two others by 50⁰.The load is also secured by six binding devices with winch, edge protection, and tightening belt, as well as the corresponding hooks for securing the belt.