Before 1884 live poultry were shipped via rail in coops without food or water. These conditions injured and killed many birds until the invention of the live poultry car. Each car could contain 128 cages, and had a center “stateroom” for an attendant, a tank on top of the car for water, and a bushel bin of grain below the stateroom floor. The cages had mesh sides for ventilation and were mounted on a slant to assist with cleaning.
Gelatin dry plate negative. L 20.5, W 26 cm
Steamtown National Historic Site, STEA 7469.
X1731