| Built by the Milwaukee Road's West Milwaukee Shops in February 1940. The following is from museum signage about this car: "Until the development of specialized car in the last half of the 20th century, the standard steel boxcar hauled the majority of railroad freight. Almost any type of crated, boxed or bagged materials could be carried. With additional equipment, boxcars could also handle cargo as varied as grain or autos. Most railroads and private shippers purchased boxcars from commercial builders. However, some roads built substantial numbers of their own cars in company shops. Milwaukee 19331 was one of 750 identical boxcars built by the railroads shops with distinctive ribbed steel sides. The car handled general merchandise throughout the nation. By the time the railroad was sold in 1985, the car had been downgraded to maintenance of way service. Milwaukee 19331 was donated to IRM, and arrived in Union in 1988." |