PASSING TRAINS PT52 (a)

Yet another intermodal train rolls through Hillsdale...

As last week's train, OM518, leaves town, the next train, SDN40, rolls in.

As it rounds the curve, we see that the lead unit is a Heritage Unit.

But the excitement is that there are TWO Heritage Units!

The first unit is 1960, the AP&W's Erie Lackawanna unit.

The second unit is 8099, the Norfolk Southern's Southern unit.

The third unit is 6641, a BNSF ES44C4 unit. Note that all three locomotives are GE AC-motored Evolution Series engines. And, as will be seen next week, all of the loads on this train are Schneider equipment!

PASSING TRAINS PT50

There was no posting last week due to a flooded basement! However, now the basement is dry, and the trains are fine, so let's move on...

Train OM518 heads westbound, with an train of empty oil tankers headed from Baltimore to Chicago.

Another pair of GECX pre-production ET44AC's lead the way. The AP&W put it's allotment of units to good use!

A loaded carbon black hopper is on the head end acting as a buffer car. Since carbon black is produced at refineries (it's a byproduct of the refining process), it made sense to use the car as a buffer.

Following are the familiar black tank cars.

OM518 rolls through Hillsdale Yard. Note the GE test car sitting outside the shop, and the orange MOW flats in the foreground.

A BNSF hopper brings up the rear. The train will be handed off to the BNSF in Chicago, then return to North Dakota for re-loading with Bakken-crude oil. The entire round-trip cycle takes about a week.

TOWN LIFE PT31; SUPER BOWL WEEKEND

Super Bowl weekend has arrived!

Mr Willis rides home from work on his scooter. Given the cold weather, he has to balance the desire to rush home with the fact that the faster he goes, the greater the wind chill he faces!

The Union Ice truck he rode behind has stocked-up The Pub, and now is ready to continue on its rounds. With two big-screen TV's, The Pub will be full during the game!

Super Bowl parties mean lots of food! Both the Domino's and the KFC plan on being busy! The delivery truck is so long, that it juts out into the street, forcing pedestrians to walk around it.

The city's new motor grader rolls up County Lane. The driver is glad he doesn't have to work on Sunday!

The internet warehouse is busy receiving -and shipping- Super Bowl-themed merchandise. Here a semi with a 53' Hub container rolls in to town.

Will and Chris talk football while awaiting an incoming freight. Neither man really cares who wins the game; both men are Steelers fans!