A specialized railroad facility equipped with heavy cranes, drop tables, and welding gear to perform major repairs on freight or passenger cars. Unlike a rip track which handles quick fixes, the carshop handles structural rebuilds, wheel replacements, and heavy fabrication. It operates separately from the locomotive shop.
Heard on the job
That hopper has a cracked center sill, so tag it and route it to the carshop.
Also heard as
- car shop
Related terms
Rip track
A yard track where carmen make light repairs to cars without sending them to a heavy shop.
Wheel shop
A dedicated maintenance facility equipped to inspect, machine, and assemble railway wheelsets.
Car knocker
A carman, the mechanical worker who inspects and repairs railcars and tests their brakes.