The bulkhead flatcar is a standard flatcar fitted with large fixed vertical steel bulkheads at each end, typically 4 to 8 feet tall, to contain and restrain loads that would otherwise shift longitudinally during braking and acceleration. The bulkheads protect the cargo and prevent it from sliding off the ends of the car. Bulkhead flatcars are the dominant equipment for lumber, pipe, and steel bar in unit train and manifest service. They are often used in conjunction with centerbeam flatcars on the same trains serving the building products industry.
Bulkheads 4-5 feet tall for loads that need end restraint but do not stack high, such as single layers of pipe or structural steel.
Bulkheads 7-8 feet tall for stacked lumber or tall bundled products requiring full end-containment to the top of the load.
Bulkhead flatcars are the standard equipment for Pacific Northwest lumber operations shipping large volumes of dimensional lumber and panel products to eastern construction and distribution markets.