Wayback Machine 1934: Boxcar Living
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01. 6.08
Past is prologue as boxcars are converted into housing during that last unfortunate event when so many couldn't make their rent or mortgage payments and were foreclosed out.
"A very useful community can be built from the bodies of old box cars, as they are in the most cases very well built to carry grain and other perishable bulk commodities, and hence make easy buildings to convert into livable homes. Being tight they are easy to heat. A winter’s supply of wood for the community can be had by wrecking other cars."
Of course today's version will be built from shipping containers. ::Modern Mechanix
More from Modern Mechanix:
"AN INNOVATION in living quarters is represented in a boxcar village which has recently sprung up in New York City. Inhabitants of this unique village, pictured below, pay only $3 a month rent, or $6 a week for room and board—reasonable enough in these hard times. Each boxcar—there are 40 in number— is equipped to sleep four men with respectable comfort, and has a wood stove, washing accommodations, and a carpet.
When good times come back—which won’t be long now—the village will probably be abandoned."
I remember reading somewhere that shipping containers often contain hazardous chemicals... recycler beware!
Boxcar = for trains not ships :/
People have already done something similar with shipping containers. See these links for example:
Michael
Growing up in a "railroad" town I remember several house made out of boxcars. The largest was 6 cars side by side
Living room,. Kitchen/Dining, Two became 3 bedrooms and a bath and the last was the master bedroom The most common was a three car config with LR, Kitchen/dining and Bedroom/bath. Because they were in a snow area they all had pitched roofs over them.
Box cars are kind of old hat and hard to come by now days. Here is a link to living in a more modern version of the box car: http://www.shipping-container-housing.com/
This may be a fine idea, but the best idea for box cars is to return them to the rails with our goods and GET TRUCKS OFF THE ROADS.
We are wasting gas and iry roads are torn up from the these milliion mile monsters going up and down the across the country. We need to return to the rail system this is a Green Idea.