MMEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND PT 3

 During Memorial Day weekend, ET44AC 530 rolled through Hillsdale with a short military train. The rest of the train...

Behind the tanks and Bradley's are several TPDX 89' flatcars, designated "MILITARY USE ONLY." These are brand-new 110T flatcars, built by Greenbriar, for transporting military equipment, such as these Army containers. Seen here, from left-to-right are; a Quadcon, a 20' Conex, a Tricon, and another Quadcon. The Tricons and Quadcons are versatile mini-containers which can be joined together into a single 20' unit for shipping as seen here.

This car has all 20' Conex's, in three different colors! The TPDX flats also have chain slots in the deck for vehicle loads, as well as stack pockets on the sides, making them useful for a variety of loads. They are NOT used, however, for tracked vehicles -only DODX flats are used for those.

Bringing up the rear is a special Tribute car.

The full-dome is a fitting end to this Memorial Day Weekend train.

Final Tribute; a new KW T880 pulls the POW-MIA trailer through town.

Again, thanks to all those who have served our Great Nation and continue to do so.

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND PT 2

 

ET44AC 530, the POW/MIA unit, leads a short military train east through Hillsdale Yard during the Memorial Day weekend.

The head end is loaded with M1A2 Abrams tanks. These six-axle trucked flatcars are the only ones capable of carrying a pair of these massive tanks; all other flats are limited to one tank, as they weigh 73.6 tons each!

More tanks on DODX flatcars.

A lone M3 Bradley rides a DODX flat behind the tanks.

More Bradleys follow.

530 shows off her rear POW/MIA decal, while rolling past a waiving track worker.

After the DODX flats with tracked equipment, follow TTX flatcars with a variety of military containers. There is also a special car at the end of the train. All for next week!

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND PT 1`

 Memorial Day Weekend in Hillsdale...

A Hamm's Beer semi rolls into town in this 80's photo.

Another Mack truck pulls a Pabst Blue Ribbon trailer in this "today" photo. Memorial Day and beer are a popular combination!

Another staple of Memorial Day is grilling; a reefer semi leaves town after dropping off a load of beef products at the distribution warehouse. Steaks, ribs, and hamburgers are now in stock! 

A local trucker headed home is this guy, with his Ford CL9000. His truck is 40 years old and still going strong!

Finally, ET44AC 530 is in town with a short military train. More on this train next week!

Remember, Memorial Day is for those who lost their lives for our nation -honor them well!

TEMPORARY BREAK

Right now, I'm taking a temporary break from the blog. While my health has been good overall, I still haven't able to make it into the basement on a regular basis recently due to a combination of poor leg circulation and bad knees. This is also keeping me from going upstairs to work on models for the layout. I do hope to make posts again soon, so stay tuned. And thank you for your readership!

Luis May
 

RAIL TRAIN

 At the start of "MOW Season", the rail train has been pulled out of storage...

Leased Scale Trains unit 2022 leads the rail train westbound to the loading facility, just outside of Cleveland, Oh.

The head car, with a bulkhead to prevent the rails from shifting forward, leads the support cars.

Passing through the yard.

The train. The symbol number is E2022W.

E2022W continues west for re-loading. Once loaded, the train will need two engines to pull it.

A final look at E2022W. Like CSX, NS, and other railroads in the Southeast, last year's hurricanes caused plenty of damage to the AP&W's rail lines -especially in North Carolina and Tennessee. Once loaded, this train will head south to Tennessee for a line upgrade on the former MC&K's main between its namesake cities; Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville. The line will be upgraded with heavier rail and concrete ties for faster transit times, allowing better competition with trucks across the state -and eventually on to Oklahoma City.