OFFICERS' SPECIAL

An officers' special ran through Hillsdale after Christmas...

Train EOS (Extra, Officers' Special) rolls in.

Leading the train is a special treat; an SD70ACe painted in Virginian colors!

This view shows the PTC (Positive Train Control) equipment on the cab roof, as well as the AP&W logo on the nose. This unit should have been 9169, but instead left Muncie, Ind. with an NS-compatible road number! Since it was built at the same time as NS's Heritage Units, the numbers apparently got mixed up. The unit is expected to have its proper number applied eventually.

The train itself is comprised of (left-to-right) the generator car, a coach, dining car, two sleepers, and a dome buffet-lounge-observation car -all from the company's business car fleet.

Hard to see here, but the tail sign features the AP&W's 'Star' logo. The train is headed back to the Chicago headquarters, after leaving New York City.

THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN PT2

The Christmas train is here! But not for long...

Santa's on board, and the train is leaving the 'station'!

A comparison of the two engines. Red and green, 12-25, Season's Greetings, Merry Christmas!

A last look at the engines as they leave town.

As usual, the Operation Lifesaver gon is in the consist, loaded with a tree for display.The red car in front of is the Santa Claus coal car.

The crew car for this year's train is the sleeper car 'Kansas City'.

The Christmas Train is made complete by the Christmas cars produced by Kadee, seen here. These represent 3 of the past 5 years' cars; I didn't get this year's car.

Waving goodbye from the caboose is the other 'Santa's helper'. After the train exits the yard, she'll head inside, and probably head up into the cupola for the view -especially since the other side windows have been plated over!

THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN, PT1

It's that time of year again...the return of the Christmas train!

Train DEC25 rolls into town.

The train is lead by two engines; the old green one and a new red one!

The crew watches as the train pulls in.

The new engine is another second-hand GE 70-tonner. It's been painted red, to compliment the other engine, and is numbered 12, to "date-match" the other engine, #25. In addition, it has been lettered 'Seasons Greetings', and has snowflakes on the sides, as well as an American flag decal on the cab sides.

Engine 12 also has a snowplow mounted on the front pilot. After all, the heart of the AP&W is the upper Midwest!

The kids line up for their gifts from Santa, as they are handed down from the car. A photographer records the moment.

Two more kids come running up, as their caretaker watches. In addition to the kids of the local railroad employees, gifts are also given out to the kids from the Hillsdale House, a home for at-risk children from throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.

IN THE YARDS PT22

A look in the traffic in Hillsdale Yard...

A short string of gons, loaded with scrap, sit in the yard, awaiting delivery to Wilson Steel.

Appalachian 23261 is still in it's as-delivered paint scheme from the 70's!

AP 3901 has the late-80's minimal lettering scheme.

APW 3699 is still in the minimalist lettering scheme, though the conspicuity striping does brighten it up, somewhat.

APW 3877 now has the new logo on the sides.Like most mini-mills these days, Wilson Steel Works recycles scrap metal to create new steel products. In addition to being "green", it is also cheaper than creating new steel from raw materials. It also saves me from having to buy a long string of ore cars to supply the mill with raw ore. Conversely, I still do have to run lots of gons with scrap loads -and I need more gons!

TOWN LIFE PT18 -MORE TRUCKS

With the holiday season in effect, lots of trucks are moving through town...

A JB Hunt semi, behind a newer Freightliner Cascadia, rolls up County Lane. Note that it is a 53' container on a chassis, rather than a conventional box van. With more and more road freight now moving by rail, and the railroads' preference for containers that can be double-stacked for greater efficiency, trucking companies are buying containers in ever-increasing numbers, and JB Hunt was one of the pioneers of the movement.

UPS Freight, the former Overnight Express, is also busy during the holidays. This is the normal daily run into Hillsdale, but more freight is moving in and out of town.

Another Freightliner Cascadia pulls a patriotically painted CIE Freight trailer.

Holiday parties often have pizza; lots more gets consumed while people watch football. The Domino's truck arrives to re-stock the local franchise.

A CRST Expedited semi rolls out of town, behind yet another Cascadia. These are popular trucks, as can be seen by the fact that four of the five trucks so far are Cascadias!

Our last truck is also a Freightliner, but is a Coronado, designed for the owner-operator. It is pulling a trailer full of mulch, a much in-demand item as people get their yards ready for winter. Others will lay down mulch in the spring, so he'll be back in several months.