THE 80'S, PT16

More of Hillsdale in the 80's...

The west end of Hillsdale Yard, before the addition of the converted container maintenance shop, which was added during the mid-90's.

Outside the yard office, several guys gather by a GMC motorhome, preparing for a weekend getaway to the lake. The fishing was good in those days, but the increase in boat traffic has taken its toll in recent years. Fish don't like noisy jet-skis!

A big tow truck is parked at the end of the access road. From time to time, the big truck owned by the railroad need servicing off-site, and this rig did the honors, taking them to a shop outside town, Said shop has since been taken over by Tony Moltello, and still services medium and heavy duty trucks.

And speaking of tow trucks... Marla tries to talk her way out of a parking ticket, but the not only is the cop on the scene, but so is the tow truck, with driver at the ready! Looks like she'll have to pay both the ticket and towing fees!

Shift change; daylight crew heads home in the evening. Today, most of these men would be wearing safety vests and jackets, but in the 80's there was less of a concern about crew visibility, especially shop workers.

Workers start up freshly re-painted SW1500 350. It is ex-AP 170, built in 1966, and recognizable by both the all-weather windows on the cab and the spark arrestors  on the stacks. Note that, even in the 80's, the railroad required safety vests when working around the tracks outside the confines of the shop.
Next week we'll wrap up the 80's with a look at an 80's TOFC train.