Cattle wagon
A cattle wagon is an everyday expression for a railway wagon designed to carry livestock. The American equivalent is called a stock car. A cattle wagon is one type of covered goods wagon, although cattle have also been transported in open goods wagons.
Wagons with special bays or stalls were only used for the transport of racing horses whilst small livestock, such as sheep, goats, poultry and rabbits were transported in livestock wagons with slatted sides and/or hutches. Originally high-sided wagons were also used to move cattle as well as horses and pigs. For the transport of military horses in goods wagons, tethering rings were fitted. The transportation of large and small animals required special fittings – air vents, means of tethering, drinking facilities and viewing ports – in order to avoid quantitative and qualitative losses. Even troops were transported in covered goods wagons.
