Equipment Information

CGW W52 is a railroad flat car assigned for use with a crane, in this case North Western 6363. Flat cars used for this purpose were known as “idlers” because they didn’t carry anything but simply “sat idle.” The idler’s purpose is to provide a buffer underneath the boom of the crane so that the crane could be hauled from either direction. Like its crane, this car was built for the Chicago Great Western and was later operated by the Chicago & North Western while retaining its CGW reporting marks.

Builder: ???
Year Built: ???
Length: 54ft 5in
Width: 10ft 5in
Height: 7ft 1in
Weight: ??? lbs
Brakes: AB
Trucks: Barber RB
Description: Idler Flat for C&NW 6363
Arrived: 1990
Condition: Complete / unrestored / operational