Engine 3163 sits in the yard at the start of the day, awaiting the call to duty.
The caboose of a passing train shows between two tank cars in the yard. The train is the special movement train shown in an earlier post. This special "Safety Caboose" is one of the few still left on the AP&W.
A contractor talks with Sam and Bill about the grading job before he begins. Since the parking lot and access road are dirt, every now and then they need their ruts and potholes graded out. At least it's cheaper than having to rip up and re-lay asphalt every several years!
The local school resource officer's specially painted PT Cruiser is parked on Main Street. While most of the local kids do stay in school, like most cities, Hillsdale has its share of 'hardheads'. At least the car doesn't have roof-top flashers!
The red light shines as caboose 4312 brings up the rear of yet another local run to Pete's Plastics
by train HLP20. Delivered after the era of crew-assigned cabooses had ended, 4312 once traveled through the Appalachian and Allegheny moutains on coal trains and manifest freights. She even did a short stint on stack trains during the early '80's and travelled all the way out to Denver, Colorado. Now, she lives out her remaining days in Hillsdale, providing travelling shelter -and a mobile tool box- to local switching crews.
A passing freight features a string of wood chip hoppers on the head end. Wood chips are used in the manufacture of paper products, and can be carried in quite large cars due to their light weight.
More wood chip hoppers, including a pair of old Southern cars still in original paint. These cars have a 7000 cubic foot capacity!
Midway through the train, a string of kaolin tank cars. This daily train services the paper mill just outside of town, dropping off loaded cars and picking up empties.
While several auto-trains pass through Hillsdale daily, it is rare to see one comprised entirely of Gunderson Auto-Max carriers. This one has several BNSF cars up front.
Like most freight cars today, unfortunately, APW 25503 has a healthy dose of graffiti- showing why the railroads abandoned the original open auto racks for the fully enclosed variety!
