Meanings
plural Schnabel cars
- A specialized railroad freight car designed to carry heavy and oversized loads in such a way that the load makes up part of the car, being suspended in the middle by lifting arms connected to an assembly of span bolsters that distribute the weight over many wheels.
Synonyms: Schnabel wagon
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA specialized railroad freight car designed to carry heavy and oversized loads in such a way that the load makes up part of the car, being suspended in the middle by lifting arms connected to an assembly of span bolsters that distribute the weight over many wheels.
Origin
From German Tragschnabelwagen (literally “carrying-beak-wagon”), because of the usually tapered shape of the lifting arms, resembling a bird's beak.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Schnabel car. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Schnabel%20car
“Schnabel car.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Schnabel%20car. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Schnabel car,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Schnabel%20car.
Source: Schnabel car on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.