Object Record
Images
Additional Images [9]
Metadata
Object Name |
Wagon, Baggage |
Caption |
Railway baggage cart |
Description |
Railway baggage cart. Metal frame with two large wheels & two small wheels; wooden deck. c.1920s. Railroad needed to transport passengers’ luggage, freight and postal mail between the depot and the baggage car. Probably one of the most common sights at any railroad station until the late 20th century was the baggage cart, the design of which really didn’t change much over the decades. Suitcases replaced large trunks, but the cart was essentially the same. Pulled by hand, the cart had a metal frame and a wooden base that was generally at the level of the baggage car floor, thereby making it easier for the baggage clerk to move items on and off the train. Freight rooms had large wooden doors that slid open so that the cart, laden with luggage, crates and other goods, could be easily wheeled in for sorting. Security was always important to the railroads and the express companies; therefore, freight rooms usually had small windows situated high on the walls that allowed light to enter but deterred would-be thieves. With this in mind, it’s easy to pick out the freight area in a combination depot (one that housed passenger and freight services under one roof) by looking at the placement and size of the windows. |
Catalog Number |
1990-0043-001 |
Search Terms |
Wagons Baggage wagons Carts |
Subjects |
Draylines Wagons Depots Carts & wagons |