THE ORANGE TRAIN!

Yes, it's time for Halloween! And here's an orange train to celebrate!

Train DN39, the Dayton, Oh.-NYC intermodal, rolls into Hillsdale, behind a trio of BNSF engines.

While BNSF units are unusual enough, these are also ES44C4 engines; only BNSF and Florida East Coast own these types of locomotives, although the AP&W tested them. While good for intermodal service, the railroad wasn't impressed with them in other types of service, and stayed with the tried-and-true standard ES44AC's.

Orange and black engines lead an almost solid train of orange Schneider National containers. Halloween colors indeed!

A lone, green HUB Group container leads the orange parade.

More orange containers. Not the Tropicana "Juice Train", but it sure seems like it! Note the grey lease units in the yard.

And speaking of grey, the end of the train features a string of grey FedEx Intermodal containers. A lot of Schneider traffic can be found on ND39/DN39, as a joint CSX-KCS train carries Schneider equipment between St. Louis and Dayton; the AP&W's "39" trains are a natural extension to New York, and in fact are marketed as such. BNSF units, however, usually come out of Chicago, so their appearance here is unusual -especially a matched set.

FALL EXCURSION TIME!

Once again, it's time for fall excursion trains!

The Dinner Belle runs year-round, but fall is the most popular time to ride. Here engine 1 runs through the southwestern Pennsylvania hills.

The forward dome car.

The dining car.

The rear dome.

The rear window of the dome, with its ever-popular panoramic view of the just-passed scenery. For fall, there is usually another dining car, but my diorama isn't long enough to include it!

Also popular is the steam excursion. Here engine 34 pulls its train through the countryside. The open-sided car is a great place to ride on this warm day!

On the return trip, the engineer smokes it up a bit, to the delight of the passengers!

CHI-TOWN FLAVOR

Being born and raised in the Chicago area, I have a special interest in many of my hometown railroads -including METRA. With my "modeler's license" in hand, let's turn Hillsdale into a Chicago suburb and watch a few commuter trains roll through...

The headlight belongs to a bi-level commuter cab car.

A short commuter train rolls past, not only in full C&NW yellow & green dress, but running "wrong main" in the traditional C&NW manner!

Pushing on the train is a C&NW EMD F7, modified for commuter service. Note the rooftop exhaust mufflers for the Head End Power generator, replacing what was probably a steam generator. The HEP generator provides electricity to the cars for lighting and heating/cooling, eliminating the need for under-body battery boxes on the cars -as well as steam lines for the heating systems and the need for a steam boiler (and the associated cleaning/maintenance and separate water tank) on the locomotive. Note also that the upper headlight housing, which held the gyrating Mars light, has not only been plated over, but now holds the C&NW signature gong bell!

While I don't recall riding the C&NW trains, and recall E-units pulling them though my hometown, these cars were a "must have" when Kato released them years ago. Then, when Bowser released the F-unit this summer, it was another "must have"!

The headlights of yet another cab car approach; yet again running "wrong main"!

This time, it's an 80's/90's RTA train, pushed by an F40PH-2 (classed B-32-A by RTA; a standard F40 is rated at 3000hp, RTA/Metra's are rated at 3200hp). 

The red marker lights glow on the nose of the engine for rear-end protection. When I was in the Navy, attending school at Great Lakes Naval Station, I rode these trains regularly.

Another F40PH, this time running "correct main", pulls its train through town.

The train is painted in Metra's current paint scheme. Additionally, the engine has been updated with rooftop a/c units and ditch lights. Note that the nose striping remains similar to the previous scheme.

The marker lights on the cab car glow red. Note, again, that the end striping is similar to the previous scheme. Most, if not all, of these cars have been retired in favor of stainless steel cars.

Lastly, one of Metra's newest locomotives; an MP36PH. This unit, 401, is named after a young boy, Oliver "Ollie" Tibbles, who died of brain cancer. His dream of growing up? He wanted to be a train! Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, his dream came true. His story is why I bought this particular road number; a portion of the sales went to Make-A-Wish. Unfortunately, the snowplow was mounted too low, and broke off while I was running the engine; that's why it's missing.

IN THE YARDS PT29

Engine 3163 rests between assignments.

With extensive fracking operationsin southwestern Pennsylvania, lots of sand-carrying hoppers pass through -and stop in- Hillsdale. Here a short string sits in the yard, as the ethanol train from last week passes by.

Notable among the cars is this pink(!) car, owned by Halliburton. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so this car fits right in with the "wear pink" theme!

At the opposite end of the spectrum are these two aging ACFX three bay hoppers. 'Standard' grey paint, and lots of rust and grime contrast with the new, clean pink of the Haliburton car.

Along side the hoppers is this chlorine tank car, ready to be delivered to Hillsdale Water Works.

PASSING TRAINS PT37

An unscheduled Amtrak trains rolls through Hilldale during the early 90's...

The lead locomotive, updated with ditch lights and rooftop a/c, rolls under the bridge.

Into the yard she rolls.

With four units on the head end, this is obviously a power balancing move.

There are a half-dozen MCH's on the head end as well; either this train is carrying ALOT of merchandise or the equipment is also being moved around for balancing purposes.

A string of Superliners follows.

A lone Amfleet car is tacked onto the end.

The train heads west for Wheeling, West Va., then onto Chicago, where the equipment will be placed into various train assignments. The Superliners will probably either head to the West Coast or south to New Orleans; until the late 90's low clearances in the east kept most of the double-decked Superliners out west.