A Schnabel car or Schnabel wagon is a specialized type of railroad freight car. It is designed to carry heavy and oversized loads in such a way that the load makes up part of the car. The load is suspended between the two ends of the cars by lifting arms; the lifting arms are connected to an assembly of span bolsters that distribute the weight of the load and the lifting arm over many wheels. When a Schnabel car is empty, the two lifting arms are connected to one another and the car can usually operate at normal freight train speeds. Some Schnabel cars include hydraulic equipment that will either lift or horizontally shift the load while in transit (at very low speeds) to clear obstructions along the car's route. As of 2012, there were 31 Schnabel cars operating in Europe, 30 in North America, 25 in Asia, and one in Australia. Gallery Design The largest Schnabel car in public railroads operation, reporting number WECX 801, was completed in 2012 by Kasgro Railcar for Westinghouse Nuclear and is used in North America primarily to transport reactor containment vessels. It has 36 axles (18 for each half). Each half contains nine trucks which are connected by a complex system of span bolsters. Its tare (unloaded) weight is and has a load limit of for a maximum gross weight of . WECX 801 has the ability to shift its load vertically and up to laterally on either side of the car's center line. When empty, this car measures long; for comparison, a conventional boxcar currently operating on North American railroads has a single two-axle truck at each end of the car, measures long and has a capacity of . The train's speed is limited to when WECX 801 is empty, but only when loaded and requires a crew of six operators in addition to the train's crew. CEBX 800 in North America The second largest Schnabel car in service, owned by ABB, bears the CEBX 800 registration, and is used in North America. Built by Krupp AG, it has 36 axles (18 for each half). Each half has 9 bogies linked together by a complex system of span bolsters. Its tare weight (empty mass) is . When empty, this wagon is long. It can carry a load of long and . By comparison, a classic boxcar has only one bogie with two