Tarped Bulkhead Flatcars

[Puddington]

Exactly; they are for what we call "wet pulp" and are used to move the fresh pulp bales from the pulp house to a finishing mill. A boxcar's high humidity environment would basically turn fresh pulp into soup so this option allows for less condensation to be formed.....yucky smelling cars too............

[jnevis]

Pretty ingeneous really.

I could see using it for cotton bales too.  When they pick it they mash them into trailer sized bales and let them sit for a few days then take them to the gin.  The ones I saw were only a couple miles from the gin but if they were further apart something like that could be useful to have some airflow so the bales didn't mold.

[Ian MacMillan]

Canadian's version of the Fema death camp cars!
(I guess the open auto racks don't work up north)

Lol...

(in case you're not up on the current whack job conspiracies, here's what I'm talking about: http://pimpinturtle.com/2008/02/01/fema-ordered-102000-boxcars-with-shackles.aspx. You know these guys are serious because they use bold and all-caps)

Lol....I have to find the New Hampshire "operation"...