PASSING TRAINS PT 28; PITT27 PT 1

Interstate RR Heritage unit 8105 leads PITT27, the priority express between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, west.

A trio of MR&T cars are on the head end, headed back home to Wisconsin.

A CHTT coil car and a patched CEFX boxcar.

Two tank cars, one carrying refined oil, the other loaded with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride -used in the petrochemical and polymer industries. Because of  the highly corrosive nature of the cargo, the tank car has an orange band to help first responders identify it as a potential hazard in the event of a wreck or derailment.

A CRLE 60' high cube boxcar is followed by an empty black and white TILX tank car.

PITT27 threads its way through Hillsdale Yard.

The white TILX tank cars are all empty.

TILX 352834 displays the features of her sisters; white body with a black band, yellow conspicuity striping, and 1987 placards signifying a re-assignment from crude oil to ethanol hauling.

The second half of PITT27 next week.

PASSING TRAINS PT 27; AT57 PT 3

 The conclusion of AT57...

Another CSX Multi-Max.

An AP&W Multi-Max.

And another AP&W Multi-Max.

.Another Thrall articulated bi-level with the new red TTX logo

The tail end of the train is comprised of more articulated autoracks -this time Gunderson Auto-Max's. This one is owned by the AP&W.

Another AP&W Auto-Max.

Bringing up the rear is a BNSF Auto-Max, with the small "Circle-Cross" logo originally used by the railroad during the late '90's after its formation (the 1996 merger of Burlington Northern and Santa Fe, hence the "BNSF").

PASSING TRAINS PT 27; AT57 PT 2

 Last week, AT57 rolled into Hillsdale. now more of the train...

Another Multi-Max, this one a CSX car.

A TTX Multi-Max in yellow, followed by a white TTX car. Both have the red "heritage" logo, honoring the Pennsylvania Railroad, which helped found Trailer Train in the early '60's.

A UP car, with SP reporting marks.

A Mexican car! TFM joins the crowd.

A Thrall bi-level articulated rack, with the red TTX logo.

A KCS (Kansas City Southern) Multi-Max.

A Utah Central Multi-Max. Surprising how many of these cars show up in the eastern half of the country -this is one of three in the train!

The conclusion of AT57 next week.

PASSING TRAINS PT 27; AT57 PT 1

 

Another train rolls into Hillsdale...

The train is AT57, the westbound auto train, behind SD70MAC 9663 and AC4400 8900.

Among the autoracks is this CP Rail tri-level car, showing its age.

This tri-level rack is owned by TTX. Normally, they only own the flatcar, but they also own a number of racks as well.

TTX also owns this articulated bi-level.

This car features an NS Gunderson MultiMax rack on a TTX flat. The advantage of the MultiMax is that it can be converted from a bi-level to a tri-level and back in short order, thus providing flexibility to the railroads without having to buy separate cars for each service as before.

8663 and 8900 lead AT57 through the yard and beyond. Next week, a look at more of the cars in the train.

OFFICE SPECIAL OS500

 One of the AP&W's business trains is rolling through Hillsdale...

OS500 is lead by brand-new ET44AC 500, the class unit and the Breast Cancer Awareness unit.

Converted heavyweight baggage car #11 provides head end power to the train.

While most of the cars are Budd-built stainless steel cars, this one, the Tennessee, is painted in the colors of the Appalachian Railroad. The APRR was one of four railroads to purchase full-length dome cars, and the only eastern one to do so.

The final car is a BUDD dome-observation car. The APRR used domes mainly on its mid-western trains, as clearances were better than they were east of Cincinnati: by the time clearances were improved on the eastern half of the system to accommodate TOFC and autorack traffic, passenger traffic was dropping dramatically, thus there was no need to purchase new domes -or any other passenger equipment- during the 60's.

OS500 rolls through Hillsdale Yard.

The citizens of Hillsdale get a special treat today -the sight of an ultra-modern freight locomotive pulling a train of '50's era passenger cars! 

The red light on the observation car shines as OS500 rounds the curve and out of town.