As the production and consumption of commodities like grain, coal, lumber, coil steel, cement, and more have evolved over the years, so have the railroad cars that haul them. Commodities by Freight Car shows you which cars carried which cargoes in the era you model. In this book, you’ll learn: how all-purpose boxcars, gondolas, and flats gave way to a dizzying variety of specialized freight cars for coil steel, lumber, flour, sugar, auto parts, and frozen foods; how freight handling has changed over the years; how railroads handle hazardous cargoes such as chlorine and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); which experimental car designs worked to make transporting goods more efficient–and which failed and much more. Plus, you’ll get many helpful modeling tips!