The school year is winding down, so let’s get in one more quiz before summer vacation arrives! Nothing too complicated here, just your ABC’s. Let’s see how well you recognize your favorite railroads by their reporting marks.
Reporting marks are the unique set of initials assigned to every company that owns a railroad car. Containers and trailers which ride the rails get them too. Along with the road number, these marks identify the car and provide the railroads’ operating departments a way to route and track it correctly.
Usually the reporting marks are related to the railroad or company name or initials. In some cases the marks seem strange, particularly where the initials are based off of the official roadname and not necessarily the one with which we’re most familiar, like Cotton Belt’s “SSW” for example.
Here is a list of 26 historic and contemporary reporting marks. In addition to well-known railroads, there are some smaller companies, private car owners, intermodal shippers and leasers included to make it a little more challenging. How many do you know?
- AA
- BN
- CSX
- DTI
- ETTX
- FW&D
- GM&O
- HLCX
- ITC
- JBHU
- KCS
- LBR
- M
- NOPB
- ONT
- P&WV
- QC
- RDG
- SFRD
- TRRA
- UTCX
- VC
- WC
- XOMX
- YV
- ZCAX
How did you do? Check out the answer key to check your work and learn a little more. If you want some more chances to test your knowledge, look for the next issue of the LRRC’s Inside Track – coming to members later this month!
I have not seen LBR on freight cars in the past 10 years.
I was going to check on XOMX sometime. That is on Tank Cars and Covered Hoppers. I has to be a chemical company.
XMOX is a chemical company, but I will not say which one, so people have to guess.
Reblogged this on theredcaboose1.