TOWN LIFE PT25; MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

On this Memorial Day weekend...

An SUV tows its boat to the lake. Given the size of the boat, the owner may be having a small party on board!

A large RV also heads out, possibly to the lake as well.

With lots of cookouts in the works, the need for ice is obvious; this truck may well be empty when it leaves town!

Speaking of ice, this camper is heading to the supermarket for a quick stock-up before leaving town.

City folk aren't the only ones cooking out; Briggs works the grill outside the shop, as his co-workers wait for the food. Hot dogs and burgers anyone?

At the other end of the yard, Ricardo shows off his customized '57 Chevy Bel Aire. The Hillsdale area has lots of old, classic cars, and Ricardo is a member of the local car club.

PASSING TRAINS PT45; PHIL28 PT2

From last week...

A pair of ADM hoppers -in different schemes- behind the tank cars.

A lone molten sulfur car, and a blue hopper with reporting marks that formerly belonged to BF Goodrich, but are now owned by Oxy Vinyls.

A string of boxcars, including a high-cube in TTX's new scheme and a car leased by UP from GATX. The BKTX marks were originally used by the MKT railroad, which UP purchased in 1988, and today are used on leased freight cars.

More boxcars, including a trio of patched-up cars.

A bulkhead flatcar loaded with sewer pipe sections and a trio of two-bay hoppers brings up the rear of the train.

PASSING TRAINS PT45; PHIL-28 PT1

A priority freight, PHIL-28, rolls through town...

Led by a pair of EMD Lease SD70ACe's, the train rounds the curve.

Units 1205 and 1203 represent EMD's latest, and are actually demonstrators units. Here they lead PHIL-28, with double stacks on the head end.

Members of the yard crew watch 1205 roll past. During the course of the year (2012), the AP&W will receive 100 new SD70ACe's, as it continues to upgrade its locomotive fleet with newer, more reliable motive power.

Behind the stacks are a string of boxcars; behind those are a string of tank cars. This is the modern day equivalent of a mixed-train; instead of passenger cars, it is intermodal equipment added to a general freight consist.

The tank cars represent the growth of oil and ethanol shipments by rail to the east coast in recent years. Note also the parked string of oil tankers in the yard; these are empties waiting to head back west.More of this train next week...

TOWN LIFE PT24

A Plymouth Barracuda convertible sits outside Tony's Garage. (One day, he'll finally change those signs.) The car is a rare bird, as Plymouth reportedly only built seven convertibles with the Hemi engine! Note the top is down on this warm spring day; hopefully there are no pigeons hanging out on the billboard!

As traffic rolls along County Lane, notice the change in the background; the open layout framework and blue foam board edges are now covered up with grass mat, providing a much improved look.

A tour bus rolls into town.

A car-hauler carries a pair of new Fords to the dealership on the other side of town. It would be carrying more, but I didn't feel like gluing the cars to the truck (it cost $200.00!).

Another bus sits outside World Travel Service. Still unlettered, it probably belongs to a new operator starting up. And just where will they offer service to?

With the arrival of spring, outdoor games have also arrived. And how better to celebrate victory afterwards, than with a fresh, hot pizza? The delivery truck leaves town after its weekly visit to Hillsdale's  Domino's franchise.