[inflammable]

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/0/1/3/5013.1350711183.jpg
Railpictures Page Link

That photo is by Tom Sink. He has a large collection of photos of the Southeastern U.S. Railroads, from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

This train kind of looks like a model railroader's train, to me. The high cube boxcar over-shadowing the small, switcher style locomotive. On a spindly wooden trestle, no less. A Union Pacific boxcar, all the way in North Carolina, what could be so important in there?

James

[inflammable]

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/0/9/2/6092.1195279200.jpg
Railpictures Page Link

Photo by Jean-Francois Dumont.

This one is a bit modern for this forum. I've always been intrigued by the Brandt truckamotive. Even more than a regular hi-railer, half truck, half locomotive.

I also understand that they generate strong feelings among the Operating Crews on larger railroads. They do the work of a locomotive, but it isn't a train crew that operates it. There's a shortline in western Canada which has just one truck like this, and no locomotive. I can't remember the name of it, but I believe I heard about it from one of the Canuckian members of this forum.

If you navigate to the Railpictures page, it explains how the train is stopping at heated switches and blowers, and filling their propane tanks.

This could be simulated using files at TrainSim.com.

James

[inflammable]

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/0/3/7/2037.1351174294.jpg
Railpictures Page Link

Photo by James Belmont

I don't know anything about the Gomex spur that the train is on, but there's an awful lot of money spent to move that one car!

But that's why I like short trains. If they run regularly, then they won't break even, but just the same, they're there.

James

[inflammable]

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/3/7/2/1372.1352873551.jpg

RailPictures Page Link

Photo by Tom Sink.

The Hartwell Railroad was always good for a short train. The original line was about ten miles long, in northeast Georgia. During the diesel days, they had two 44 tonners and a 65 tonner. The 44's couldn't manage any more than three or four cars by themselves, anyway.

I live in Kentucky now, but grew up in Georgia. I've tried to railfan up here, and it just isn't the same. My heart still lies with Georgia Railroading. Something about a Plate F hopper full of woodchips does it for me...

James

[conductorchris]

Those 40' hi-cube boxcars were used for appliances. Washing Machines and Refrigerators and the like.
Christopher

[inflammable]

Appliances, huh? Thanks. Perhaps it came from the Chicago area, then.

I've been looking up the Hartwell Railroad, trying to determine what the coal was for. The Hartwell was narrow gauge from 1879 until 1905. It had a couple wood burners during that time, then a small coal burner. Southern Railway operated it between 1903 and 1917, and it could have been various engines out of a further away terminal. After it was locally owned again, it probably kept a single coal burner until the diesels appeared, which probably would have been in the 40's.

James

[philmoberg]

Thanks for all the good photos of the "unglamorous" side of railroading. The shot of the 44 Tonner reminds me so much of the Winter of '71-'72, when I first broke in on train service, the consist being a slightly longer dead equipment move on a cold and raw Connecticut Winter afternoon. We were running up a part of the line that we had only recently cleared of half a decade's worth of trees and other things growing up through the ties, and all the crossings were stop-and-protect. As we approached what appeared to be a reasonably level piece of ground adjacent to a state highway, I unloaded to protect the crossing, and immediately found myself waist deep in thorn bushes. I'm told that they heard every word I said up in the cab, with the windows and doors shut and the cab heater on high. Seems the New Haven had a habit of lining its rights of way with wild rose bushes, and they were happy to learn that the ditch was in better shape than they'd though. My response to that was as creative as it was not repeatable in polite company.

The most interesting short train I ever encountered was the C&NW's Kate Shelley 400, which was our Chicago connection to DeKalb, IL, where my father's folks lived when we were in St. Louis, back in the early '60s. This consisted of an F Unit and two coaches, and offered a ride that would fairly be described as lively. It was even more lively if we happened to be aboard around school vacation time (which we usually were), because about half of the passengers would be college students, engaging in the sort of collegiate horseplay that was common in those days.

[inflammable]

Thank you for the story, Phil!

I've seen more photos of short trains, I just have to find them again.

James

[inflammable]

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/2/3/7/5237.1354014971.jpg

Railpictures Link

This photo is by William Klapp.

The North Shore Railroad is a shortline in Pennsylvania. It seems to be operated by railfans, as every railroad should be. Looking at their Website Photos, they enjoy the Erie Lackawanna.

This locomotive appears to be former Norfolk Southern, who got it from Conrail, who got it from the Indianapolis Union Railway. The trail is fuzzy to me there, as the IU was owned by the Pennsylvania RR, and some information suggests that it was a PRR locomotive.

At any rate, the North Shore Railroad seems to have a good business, and was running a short train that day just to provide good service to it's customers.

James

[Noisemaker]

Here's my fave. Off and on again with CN, then BCRY, now apparently defunct - but hope someone will pick it back up again? Connecting with the CP Mactier Sub just west of Barrie, and makes it's trek to Collingwood - Ontario's Booze Bin. (But pretty good hard stuff, and lot's and lot's of micro brews. :crazy: )

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rsWeNfBp7Nc/0.jpg