Union Pacific had a group of scale test cars stored at their yard in Winona, MN in spring 2023. They included a variety of designs and predecessor initials. CNW 263633 was in the group and seemed ... (more)

Cuyahoga Valley Railway Company Scale Test Car 250840 | Cleveland, Ohio | July 21, 2014

I found this beauty while passing through Helper, Utah. It’s an ex. D&RGW Scale Test car. If you enlarge and zoom in you will learn that it weighs 80,000 pounds, has no air brakes, and must be h... (more)

A pair of Conrail scale test cars are seen at the IHB's Blue Island Yard awaiting movement east. Tom Golden photo.

Built in 1924, one of C&O's scale test cars is seen passing through Hammond on the rear of a B&OCT train. Tom Golden photo.

One of Canac's scale test cars sits outside of James Richardson International's elevator

What has to be the oldest piece of equipment on Conrail’s roster stands within the Reading shop complex. Ninety two years old at the time of this 1983 photo, this scale test car was built by the... (more)

An interesting Scale Test Car with some additional custom graphics...

Rio Grande Scale Test car X-450 was used to calibrate track scales throughout the D&RGW system. Buillt by Southwark-Baldwin in Feb. 1945, it continues to serve even today on the Union Pacific Rail... (more)

A relic from the Denver & Rio Grande Western is spotted at the top end of UP North Yard in Salt Lake City. The X-450 was built new for the D&RGW by Southwark-Baldwin in February 1945. The unique l... (more)

A CSX scale car bides time next to an old C36-7 (CSXT 7138) under a favorite tree. The nearest two tracks are the mainlines. For a shot of the Dash 7 from the same location and day, see more)

Seen many of these? Built in Aug. of 1934 and with two axles and weighing 80,000 lbs, this ancient scale test car still plies the rails in coal country. Amazing. It'll be used next week by the USD... (more)

Western Weight & Inspection Bureau Car 910, used on the D&RGW, is 39,000 lbs, about 1/5 the weight of a loaded modern coal car, and about 10x heavier than a typical light passenger SUV.

This Scale Test Car, still in Burlington Northern markings, is 72-years old, believe it or not! Just think of all the history this little thing's seen in its lifetime. Learn more at Railroad: Burlington Northern Railroad
Locomotive: Scale Test Car
Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
Locomotive #: BN 979004
Train ID: ****
Photo Date: February 18, 2008

Built in 1917 by NSC for PRR Purchased by CN in 1943