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Rolling Stock

A railroad is of course nothing without cars to carry its passenger and freight. The Great Northern owned a large fleet of cars, from the very common to the very specialized. It built many of these cars in its own shops, but also bought from outside suppliers. The Great Northern believed heavily in recycling. Many cars were rebuilt, sometimes several times, or changed their purpose over the years. When their useful commercial life was finally over, many cars ended up in maintenance-of-way service where they lasted many years more. These pages will show what the Great Northern owned, how it painted its equipment and what equipment is still around. Additionally, reference pages help with deciphering the codes and terms used on these pages.