Sandbox (railways)

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The sandbox and delivery pipe of a Class 319 EMU seen on a northbound First Capital Connect train at Farringdon station

A Sandbox is a container on most locomotives and self propelled multiple units, or trams, (a type of train that runs on roads) that run on tramways and adhesion railways. The container holds sand, which can be dropped on to the rail to improve rail adhesion under very wet or steep conditions.

The sand may be delivered by gravity, by a steam-blast (steam locomotives) or by compressed air (non-steam locomotives). Gravity sanding requires that the sand is dry so that it runs freely. Steam locomotives in the USA had a single sandbox, called a "sand dome" placed on top of the boiler where the rising heat helped to dry the sand. Elsewhere sandboxes were and are fitted close to the wheels so as to achieve the shortest possible length of delivery pipe. Depots may have a sand drier installed to warm and to dry the sand before it is used.