A NEW BUSINESS

A new business has set up in Hillsdale!

Another pub has opened up, Sully's Tavern, in this ornate building on Main Street.

These views of Sully's Tavern show the new building and how the rest of Main Street was moved down (again) to accommodate it. With its old-time structural charm and cozy ambiance, it stands to provide stiff competition with The Pub, on the corner of Market and County Lane. So long as that man in front doesn't get into a car with that six-pack -he's already opened one up!

Right on cue, a lawyer goes into the offices of Gerrard Dimplemann. They have a reputation of being skilled negotiators -and pit-bull tough in the courtroom!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's Christmas time in Hillsdale!

The last-minute shopping rush is on! Shoppers look for deals during a sidewalk sale downtown. 70% off!

A close-up of the newly-added hopper car. Originally during the mid-50's through mid-60's, these cars were built by Pullman-Standard, marketed as 'PS-2's, and used for a variety of cargoes; including cement, fertilizer, lime, feed and other dense lading. Most were retired in the 80's/90's, some survive in company service to this day.

A close-up of the newly-added boxcar. Another product of Pullman-Standard, this is the famous 40' PS-1 post-war boxcar design that dominated freight car fleets during the 50's, 60's, and into the 70's.

And here it is being off-loaded -right into the eagerly ready arms of local kids! Working with Hillsdale House and the Salvation Army, the local AP&WRR workers help to give presents to needy area children every year during the holidays. This year, a local news crew is on hand to record the joy on the kids' faces!

As the kids line up for Santa, the bus driver heads back to the bus, to get ready for the trip back.

Brad looks on as Santa rolls out on the front of the train. The rational behind the train's symbol, DEC25, should be obvious!

Another look at the second engine, Athearn-painted GP40X 2007. The GP40X was an experimental engine built by EMD in the late 80's, which tested both a new engine and a new wheelslip control system (for improved traction on the rails). This unit was purchased from the Union Pacific, which accounts for its unusual HT-B trucks. It was given this paint scheme in 2007 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of famous model railroad manufacturer Athearn's start-up by its equally famous founder "Uncle Irv" Athearn. Given that so many people associate model trains with Christmas, pulling the Christmas train with a locomotive painted for a well-known manufacturer is almost a no-brainer!

The sign says it all.

THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TRAIN

If it's late December, then it must be time for the Christmas train!

Train DEC25 rolls into town, with Santa on the front walkway!

Since this year's train is much longer than before, an extra engine has been added -Athearn-painted engine 2007!

Car 11 is a specially-equipped car; converted from an old baggage car, it now supplies power to the two passenger cars behind it. The generator is on the left end of the car, hence the intakes on the car side. The fuel tank is inside the other end of the car.

The two passenger cars are sleepers; "Joliet" and "Kansas City". More toys to deliver means more personnel have to travel!

The coal hopper and tree-hauling gondola are still standard, along with the big white boxcar, just seen at left.

Two more new editions are a second boxcar and a covered hopper, both painted up for the season -and both long retired from revenue service.

TOWN LIFE PT11

Traffic rolls through the intersection of Market St. and County Lane. Winter hasn't hit yet, but it will soon!

A car sits behind the library. Evidently, the dumpster is being replaced or dumped, as it normally sits in this spot.

A van rolls up County Lane with a contracting crew. The new style of "sprinter" vans is proving popular with contractors, with its low floor and more roomy interior layout, verses the traditional cargo van. This one has seating for up to five men, with space for their tools/gear at the rear -along with plenty of head-room with the raised roof.

Another contracting crew is using a more traditional crew cab pickup for the job. They will be working on the apartments above the pet shop. With the ladder rack, JOBOX tool box, and an open bed for storage, these men will have everything they need on hand!

It's "winterization" time at Tony's. That Firebird won't be driving around with its T-tops off for much longer, as the newly installed snowplow and salt/sand spreader on the Highway Dept. truck indicate!

IN THE YARDS PT17

On a cold fall day, the door to the shop is closed. Note the Trackmobile sitting next to it; this little unit is normally one of the shop switchers for the Cumberland shop complex, but is on loan to the Hillsdale crew -who, in turn, have loaned it to City Fizz, whose own Trackmobile is out for repairs.

Sam, Briggs, and two other shop guys take lunch. The van belongs to a local contractor making a tool delivery.

Dale Williams and Mason converse about the day's work schedule. As usual on a railroad, there's "a lot to do, in so little time"! This is especially true in Hillsdale; located on the AP&W's busy Pittsburgh-D.C. main line, no less than 28 trains pass through in 24hrs -and then there are 7-8 local jobs!

Paul and Jason enjoy a break between trains. Another one will be pulling in soon, with cars to drop off for area customers.

A small, CSX two-bay covered hopper sits in the yard. Loaded with sand, it will be moved to a team track to be unloaded into a truck for delivery to the city's storage barn for the coming winter. Hillsdale also receives road salt this way.

And speaking of the upcoming winter, here is well-loved relic from the past; a Russell snowplow! Fresh from her touch-up in the shop, she awaits her lettering and reporting marks -and the next big snowfall!

Built before the second World War, she is easily one of the oldest pieces of equipment on the railroad -a living museum piece that still does the job it was built for; clearing the tracks of deep snow. Her recent paint job hides one interesting fact about Russell snowplows; the windows in the pilot house (cupola) are framed in wood! Hence not only was she repainted, but she also had her rotted window frames replaced as well. Other (hidden) features; a flanger underneath to clear snow from between the tracks, and a unique front truck behind the plow. The curved top of the plow, called the 'fence', is designed to keep the pilot house windows clear; that some of these plows used by the railroad around the Great Lakes combating lake-effect snow actually got windshield wipers shows how well the design worked!

IN THE YARDS PT16

A short "parts" train sits in Hillsdale Yard, ready for a trip to a local power plant.

The first car is an empty "idler" flatcar, used to add extra braking to the short, but heavy train.

The second car is a heavy-duty, four-trucked, flatcar, carrying a brand-new turbine to replace the plant's old one.

The last car (before the caboose) is a depressed center flatcar, designed for tall loads such as this compressor segment. While the load would actually still be within modern-day clearances if it was on a regular flat, the 'drop-center' flat allows it to fit within the older clearances still found on most secondary lines. While the load is 12' tall, the flatcar deck is only 2' high, instead of the normal 4'; at 14' total height, the loaded car is shorter that the locomotive!

The run to the power plant will be handled by Ricardo and Bill. While a short run, it is an unscheduled extra -thus, per union contract, it comes with a small pay bonus!

PASSING TRAINS PT18

The westbound Steel City rolls through town with it's typical short train.

What's atypical is the last car, a seasonal addition; a dome car for fall tree watchers!

An unscheduled extra out of Uniontown arrives in Hillsdale, with cars for local delivery. The first two cars are going to Dale City; the paper mill and Johnson Foods respectively.

There are also four tank cars of molten sulfur for Keystone Fertilizers, a local fertilizer plant (sulfur is used in fertilizers among other things). The last two cars are for RO Packaging.

Two of the sulfur cars. Note that while both are owned by TGOX, they are painted -and stenciled- differently. Along with fertilizers, sulfur is also used in paints, detergents, fungicides, paper, glass and explosives(!).  The cars are insulated to keep the material in its liquid state -250-290 degrees!

FALL EXCURSIONS PT2

Another fall train...

The star of this fall is engine 1645! Built in 1942, the big 2-8-4 locomotive is one of two members of the APRR's K-4 class of Berkshire engines remaining -and the only one still operational. Keeping up an 82-year-old steamer requires a small army of workers; here a relative skeleton crew performs the final preps to get her ready, as the engineer and fireman wait by the cab to board her.

With the ongoing restoration of N&W J 611 and UP Big Boy 4014, steam excursions may be the "in thing" in the near future!

Here she comes! Traveling between D.C. and Pittsburgh 1645 rolls westward under the bridge.

As appropriate for a fall train, domes dominate the short train, including this ex-Santa Fe full dome.

While only a five-car consist, it still makes a handsome train behind the equally handsome engine.

The ex-Santa Fe full dome car dates back to 1954, when it was built by Budd for the San Francisco Chief as a "Big Dome", with a bar, lounge and crew dormitory on the lower level. After its Santa Fe days, it went to Auto Train; after Auto Train's demise, it went through several more owners before ending up with Railcar Charter Service, who restored it to its former glory.

The other two domes are ex-APRR, veterans of the Alton Limited; a Chicago to St. Louis train the the APRR inherited from its 1947 acquisition of the Alton Railroad. The train was upgraded in the mid-50's with stainless steel cars from Budd Car Co., including these domes. While many of the railroad's passenger cars were sold off in the 70's, some remained, and are now part of the AP&W's business/excursion fleet.

Bringing up the rear are the Railcar Charter Service's other two cars. While not giving as impressive a view as the dome cars, they do offer more style and comfort.

VETERAN'S DAY TRAIN

To celebrate our nation's veterans, the AP&W is running a special train, EVDS14 (Extra, Veteran's Day Special), across the system...

While a short train, it is still a very special one!

SD40 3174 is a replacement for the engine originally scheduled to pull this train; engine 91101, a specially painted GE Dash 8-40B that, unfortunately, is out of service with engine trouble.

Next up is a full-dome passenger car, honoring the Prisoners Of War and the Missing In Action. The slogan on the side says it all!

The boxcar honors the branches of our nation's military.

Lastly, the caboose is a replica of the actual caboose owned and operated by Camp Pendleton, as it looked during the Desert Storm era. As a side note, the real caboose is currently on display at the USMC Mechanized Museum at Camp Pendleton.

To all my fellow vets, Happy Veteran's Day!