THE 60's; PT2

More of the 60's...

A worker stands next to an old Dodge Power Wagon converted to a rail truck; note the regular wheels have been replaced with rail wheels. The highway wheels are in the bed. This was in the days before the creation of the "hi-rail" wheels, which allow much easier conversions between road and rail.

A Mack H-61 cab-over sits with a 40' drop-deck trailer advertising the APRR's piggyback service. During the late 60's, and into the late 70's, drop-deck trailers were popular with the railroads and many shippers (especially UPS) as a way to increase cargo capacity, since trailers were limited by law to 40' in length. With the legal length  increased to 45', then 48' during the 80's, drop-decks fell out of favor, and many wound up in storage use, often with one of the two axles removed.
Also of note are the two Ford trucks; one a stake-bed in company service, the other for l.c.l. (less than car-load) service. When freight cars were unloaded at terminals, depots or warehouses these trucks made the final delivery to the customer -and also picked up goods to be shipped out. Today, of course, freight is shipped from point to point in the same trailer or container, minimizing the amount of handling, labor costs -and potential for damage- needed to move goods.
The boxcars on the siding are serving the furniture factory.

Boxcars were still the dominant car, as seen here. The blue TA&G boxcar stands out among the more typical brown cars.

Also of note is this carbon black hopper car. During this time, these cars were rather common in Hillsdale, as they were used not only by local Pete's Plastics, but also common on run-through freights to Cumberland, for the Kelly Tire plant.

The roof of the TA&G (Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia) boxcar is seen here; notice it is not a typical peaked roof, but a flat roof with rounded edges. This is a Pennsylvania Railroad design, the TA&G purchased the car second hand. The "tag" on the car plays to the company's slogan "The TAG Route". Behind it a a red L&N (Louisville & Nashville) boxcar, with the "Dixie Line" slogan, and a grey boxcar in company service.

A pair of SD35's move among the cars. Note the pair of L&N boxcars -this time in blue. They join the two red cars. The red cars are double-door, the blue ones single-door, with "DF" insignias to indicate load restraining devices installed in the cars. Both sets of cars feature one each with one of L&N's two slogans; "The Dixie Line" or "The Old Reliable". The green boxcar is from the Georgia & Florida, and all five cars are 50' Pullman Standard PS1 boxcars.
A further look at Hillsdale Yard (the west end) next week.