IN THE YARDS PT 16

 

A company Caterpillar CT660 sits with a CAT 320D excavator load. While the CT series were good trucks, they didn't sell well, and production ended in 2016. This one was still going strong in 2020.

The mail shows up at the main office. (Thank you Walthers for making this vehicle!) Note the pickup with the Bud Light tailgate wrap, and the one right beside it with the roll bar and ATV in the bed.

HTTX 90117 is loaded with a pair of movie prop vehicles. They will be used in an as-yet-unnamed action movie, reportedly starring Dwane Johnson. (Actually, a pair of Hot Wheels T-Rex Transports that caught my eye. They make a fun load for a flatcar!)

GP40 50 has returned from Wilson Steel Works with loads of steel coil.

Several gons of open coils are on the head end.

Followed by a string of US Steel coil cars carrying more coiled steel. With the AP&W serving several appliance factories as well as a number of auto plants, a lot of steel coils travel the system.

EEC (East Erie Commercial) 5673 shows off its rusty roof and faded paint. Cars like this often show up loaded with baled paper/cardboard for recycling at the paper mill.

TOWN LIFE PT 28; TRUCKS

 

An 80's era Kenworth T600A pulls a 40' COSCO container, headed for KIDCO's warehouse with a load of merchandise.

A orange Lonestar pulls a matching Schneider 53' container into town to drop off a load of paper goods at the grocery warehouse.

A tanker of Shell gasoline rolls into town. Right now, there is only one gas station in town!

Ten Mile Hike's line of shoes is carried by Amazon. This semi is heading out after picking up a load of shoes from 10 Mile Hike. Their line of hiking shoes is selling well across the country.

Another 80's semi -a Ford LTL9000- pulls a 20' container, also headed for downtown, but with a new die cutter for TC's Tool & Die.

Headed for the grocery warehouse, this reefer was last seen in the spring truck parade. Since then, she has gained running lights and new Continental tires on the tractor, and new wheels and another fuel tank on the trailer.

This close-up shows the new running lights below the cab, and the new Continental tires.

A FedEx semi has just turned onto County Lane, and is leaving town, after stops at KIDCO, Ten Mile Hike, and TC's Tool & Die.

PITT27 PT 2

 A look at the locomotive and cars of PITT27...

2022 is a GE ES44AC, built to NS specs, including front and rear ditch lights and high (cab mounted) headlight.

A CHTT 68' gon carries a load of new telephone poles.

USSX 100354 has  four large steel coils stood on end. While nor common, sometimes coils are shipped this way.

The next two US Steel gons also carry coils stood on end.

A pair of 68' RailGon gondolas carry pipe loads.

CGW X3027 was built in June 1966 for the Chicago Great Western as a bulkhead GSC flatcar . Retired in 2000 from active freight service and placed in MOW service, it has recently been converted into a wheel car, and is seen here carrying 36" wheelsets to the Cumberland car shops.

Trailer Train owns the flatcar, TFM owns the rack. Formally, Transportacion Ferrovianan Mexicana, TFM was also known as KSC de Mexico. To be carrying new Hondas from Kentucky to New Jersey, this Mexican car is a long way from home!

The second half of  TAOX 880180 shows the newly applied "Heritage" logo.

Joining the UPS trailers on the first spine car is this FFE Frozen Food Express reefer trailer.

On the next spine car are these two 28' pups, one Yellow, the other YRC. Both now fallen flags.

A pair of 53' FedEx Freight trailers finish off PITT27, as the EOT flashes red.

While other major railroads are embracing PSR (Precision Scheduled Railroading), the AP&W is still committed to serving its customers -not the shareholders and accountants. Customer service may be more expensive and less efficient, but the AP&W believes that it will pay off in the end, with more repeat customers and new ones being attracted to better service. Time will tell.

PITT 27 PT 1

 PITT27, the express manifest between Pittsburg and Philadelphia is passing through Hillsdale...

Today's PITT27 is lead by a leased Scale Trains ES44DC, engine 2022. On the head end is a string of plastic pellet hoppers.

Trailing the pellet hoppers is another covered hopper, but black.

TILX 570046 is painted up for shipper Empyreal's 75th anniversary.

Next are a pair of 68' gondolas carrying telephone poles.

More 68' gons are hauling steel pipe from the US Steel foundries of Pittsburgh.

More pipe loads, a wheel set car, and a string of autoracks.

The racks are loaded with Honda CR-V's and Acura RDX's from the East Liberty, Oh. plant.

The autoracks include a pair of articulated Thrall cars.

A pair of spine cars round out the train.

2022 rolls past the MOW trucks lined up on the side of the road as she moves on. With a full train of loads, she has work to do, but today's PITT27 is short enough (only 22 cars), that only one engine is needed to maintain the 25 mph average track speed.

Next week, a look at some of the cars -and loads- in the train.

IN THE YARDS PT 15

 On this Labor Day weekend, a look at life in Hillsdale Yard...

Genset 300 peeks out from the shop early in the morning, while one of her three engines is being worked on. Each of the engines produce 700 hp, and come online as needed to power the train being pulled, hence saving fuel vs a single 2100 hp engine. However, over time, the engines didn't stand up to railroad usage, and failures became more frequent. The Genset concept was good in principle, but not in practice, and most have been sidelined or retired outright after only about a decade of use. 300 is on borrowed time.

The shop crew workers chill out on break. In addition to a pair of 10 min regular breaks, they also get an hour lunch. Nice to have a union job!

On of the repair trucks is seen here. Most such trucks have raisable rail wheels, but this one doesn't.

A string of new 68' RailGon gondolas, loaded with pipe from Wilson Steel, await pick-up from a passing westbound through freight.

At the other end of Hillsdale Yard, a string of gons loaded with scrap metal, and a string of woodchip hoppers await departure on eastbound locals; the gons on DBW10, the hoppers on GPL10.

A crew bus sits at the end of the driveway. With fall on the way, a lot of work is being done locally to prepare for winter, meaning extra men are being brought in.

Work crane C528 has also been brought in, along with an old MC&K gon.

3163 is about to get fueled up -with Snake Oil!

Refueling job completed, the semi leaves the yard. "If you want good oil, get Snake Oil!"