Northern Pacific Railway box car NP 10896 was built by U.S. Car and Foundry in 1923. It is a 45-foot car with a steel frame and a double-sheathed wood carbody. Before shipping containers and specialty rail cars became common, box cars hauled nearly every kind of commodity. Their versatile design could be adapted with features such as end doors, racks, and adjustable bulkheads for special loads. Goods carried in box cars included lumber, machinery parts, canned goods, building materials, dry goods such as bulk wheat and barley, and machine tools. Of local importance, the Bixby Company received aircraft parts in box cars of many shapes and sizes. This car is a variation on a once-ubiquitous type; the Northern Pacific Railway owned more than 4,000 similar cars. It has two sliding doors, and some restorations of this design included a small end door that allowed long wood timbers to be loaded. NP 10896 remained in revenue service, hauling goods for hire, until 1960. Box cars continue to be used for products such as pulp, newsprint, and other cargo that is easily damaged.