LEASE UNIT PT3

After leading the excursion cars to Cumberland, HLCX 6217 another trip through Hillsdale...

Extra 6217, an unscheduled train from Cumberland, passes through town on the way to Pittsburgh, with 6217 in charge of a short intermodal train. Even though this train isn't on the schedule, the crew has no qualms about running it. On the AP&W, "extra" trains mean extra pay!

This train is almost solid JB Hunt!

While both containers are 53' plate walls, the top container is an older (late 90's) Monon, while the bottom is a newer Wabash DuraPlate unit. The Monon unit will soon be retired from service.

More Hunt boxes include DuraPlates, reefers, and corrugated units, both in traditional JB Hunt and JB Hunt Intermodal schemes.

Behind the double-stacked boxes are trailers on spine cars.

A pair of JB Hunt Intermodal reefer trailers.

A Wheels Clipper reefer trailer among the Hunt units. Note the Hunt trailer behind it is actually a container on chassis being treated as a trailer; Hunt chassis are designed with a latching mechanism to lock with a container mid-chassis to make the whole unit sturdier for both road and rail usage. Hunt chassis are also narrower than conventional chassis to prevent mixing Hunt equipment with non-Hunt equipment.

At the end of the train is a string of Alliance shippers inc. reefers. Alliance does a lot of rail shipping, both in trailers and by container -and even, for a period, by RoadRailers!

LEASE UNIT; PT2

Last week, we saw lease unit HLCX 6217 set up with a string of cars for a steam excursion. Now the cars themselves...

First up is power car 11. With most passenger cars today having head-end-power, this car is needed for most excursions and business train movements, since most non-Amtrak/commuter locomotives are not equipped with HEP -including steam engines.

Next is a former Budd-built 16-section sleeper that was converted to a coach in the early '60's. This car served on the Alton Limited, between Chicago and St. Louis; a train that AP&W predecessor the Appalachian Railroad inherited in 1947 when it purchased the Chicago and Alton from the Baltimore and Ohio.

Next up is a former B&O Budd-built Strata-Dome coach, the Moonlight Dome. This car was built for the Capital Limited, B&O's Chicago-D.C. flagship train. This car was also part of the train pulled this past spring by the 611 during its Virginia excursions. This car was one of Budd's earlier designs; note the forward slant of the dome.

The next car is a former Santa Fe Budd-built "Big Dome" bar-lounge dormitory. This car served on the "Chief" trains out west, and, for a time, on the original Auto Train of the 70's. Note the shape of the dome is the "standard" Budd profile.

The third dome is this ex-Milwaukee Road Pullman-built "Super Dome", showing yet another dome shape. Originally built for the "Hiawatha", this car was also part of the 611's train this past spring.

The Railcar Charter Service lounge car is next.

The Railcar Charter Service observation is last. These two cars frequently bring up the rear on excursion trains in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, sometimes traveling as far south as Miami!

LEASE UNIT; PT1

Like many other railroads, the AP&W leases locomotives on a regular basis to cover power shortages. Most lease units are more modern high-horsepower units, but older, lower horsepower units are also leased...

HLCX 6217 is an old SD40-2, built in 1973 by GMDD, the Canadian arm of EMD. This unit is ex-QNSL (Quebec, North Shore and Labrador) 242. Originally painted grey, it received this blue scheme in 2005. Note the large fuel tank.

The unit is on the point of a short passenger consist. No, it's not heading out on an excursion, but towing the cars to Cumberland, for the real excursion, behind a steam locomotive; Berkshire 1645.

The crew gather around the engine, as it prepares to depart.

This view of the front end shows some of the unique Canadian features, such as the bell mounted between the number boards, where the headlights would be on an American engine, and the lifting rings on the top of the pilot.

The roof top has piping for the air tanks, which are mounted inside the carbody, due to the massive fuel tank. The cooling vents can be seen below the radiators. Also seen is the unique location of the hand brake on the side of the rear platform.

A view of the large fuel tank. Note it has to be notched to allow space for the fuel filler spout! Sometime between 2008 and 2011, this unit was rebuilt with a conventional fuel tank; however, the air tanks remained inside the rear of the hood.

This rear view shows how the piping enters the carbody. It also shows yet another Canadian feature: vertical headlights, instead of the horizontal lights seen on US-built EMD's; and, again, lifting rings on the top of the pilot.
Next week, we look at the cars in the train -including the three domes!

PASSING TRAINS PT48; PT3

And now, the conclusion to train PN70, the Pittsburgh-NYC manifest...

Two bulkhead flatcars, both loaded with concrete pipe sections for ongoing sewer repair/replacement work.

Another bulkhead flat, this time with unwrapped lumber, followed by a pair of high cube boxcars, loaded with newsprint paper rolls.

A blue tank car, filled with ethyl acetate: a solvent used for such things as cleaning circuit boards and as a paint actuator. It is also used in some perfumes, and even to decaffeinate coffee! The bulkhead flat behind it has a load of wrapped drywall panels.

Several more centerbeam bulkheads loaded with lumber.

Another high-cube boxcar brings up the rear, with another load of newsprint paper rolls. The papers in the New York area should be well-stocked for the coming week!