Boxcar

Boxcar is a rail freight car that is fully enclosed and designed to carry general freight protected from the weather. It differs from open gondolas or flatcars in that it provides a weather-tight shell, usually with sliding side doors for access. Some boxcars have end doors or internal bulkheads. Modern boxcars are typically built of steel or aluminum; earlier models were wooden. Lengths commonly range from about 40 to 60 feet, with capacities from roughly 60 to 100 tons, depending on the design and rail service.

Boxcars date to the early era of railway freight in the 19th century. Wooden boxcars gave way to all-steel designs in the first half of the 20th century, offering greater strength, durability, and protection for cargo. They were a standard workhorse of North American railways, carrying palletized goods, manufactured products, textiles, and agricultural commodities. With the rise of intermodal transport, many boxcars have been retired or repurposed, though some fleets remain in service for specialized or non-containerized freight. Refrigerated and insulated variants exist, but temperature-controlled service is typically provided by dedicated reefers rather than by standard boxcars.

In other uses, the term boxcar appears in craps and dice slang, where the result of rolling double sixes is commonly referred to as boxcars.