What exactly is a Boxcart, a shuttle or inter system cargo vessel?
not sure where it was mentioned, to help with an answer
Since it isn't really significant to the plot, and I don't plan on going into a lot of detail about them in the books, I'll explain what the 'boxcars' are. (Call it a bonus for coming to the website!)
A boxcar is an old interplanetary utility freighter that was used to move large cargo containers between the various worlds of the Takar system more than 200 hundred years ago. They were capable of delivering the containers directly to the surface which larger freighters could not do, thus making the transfer of goods (and in some cases, passengers) between worlds much less complicated. They got the nickname 'boxcars' because they could be lined up nose to tail and joined together to operate in unison as one long vessel, like a series of railroad cars carrying boxes. Upon arrival at the destination, they would separate and each flight crew would fly their ship down to the surface to their respective delivery points. They were cheap to build and maintain, but they were less than reliable, hence joining them together ensured that they would all at least reach orbit over the destination world safely.
Ryk
Very nice. Thank you for the detailed answer. I could see how they would be useful.
