This website has been archived from TrainWeb.org/northshore to TrainWeb.US/northshore.
MD Car 218
Like most railroads of the time, the North Shore line handled package freight. To move this, they ordered Merchandise Dispatch Cars. The first order of cars had loading doors on each end of the car. For this order, the design remained the same except that a single loading door was placed in the center. Eventually this service dwindled, and the cars were converted for other uses. Some cars were used in multiple as locomotives during the busy war years. For the most part, they were used in various maintanence tasks such as plows or sleet cutters during the winter. Car 218 was converted to a caboose during WWII, and had the cab bulkhead walls removed so it was possible to walk from one end to another.
Current Status: not operational, awaiting mechanical/body restoration
| Builder | Year built | weight | seats | length | Width | Height |
| Cincinnati Car Co. | 1922 | 78,000 | 0 | 50' | 8'8" | 12'4" |
