TOWN LIFE PT 11; MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

 

A mother walks her son along County Lane. While they have their jackets on, the woman in the Beetle convertible has the top down on this sunny day.

The boy will, no doubt, want to check out the cars at the Dairy Queen! Another weekend, another impromptu car show!

A hot rod sits next to a rare '71 Hemi Cuda convertible.

On the other side, a Ford panel truck sits next to a '72 Dodge Daytona Superbird -complete with the outrageous rear spoiler that set these cars apart!

Parked across the street is another custom ride, a 50's Buick with mag wheels, "Frenched" (recessed)  headlights and a pair of spotlights.

Weekend tours are also on the docket, as a Conder Bus Tours bus rolls in to pick up riders for a trip to D.C. for the holiday weekend. Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam Memorial will be two very popular stops this weekend. 

Of course, cookouts are also popular!

Alas, some still have to work: a cloud of smoke rises as James and Phil start up 3163 for another day on the job.

DBW11

AC44CW 8105, the Interstate heritage unit, brings DBW11 into Hillsdale Yard.

While a 4400hp unit is a bit large for local power, today the unit is being put to good use with a train of loaded cars.

On the head end are several bulkhead flats loaded with pipe. 

After the pipe loads is a string of loaded coil cars.

After the coil cars, loaded gons of steel plate.

One of the gons has unwrapped coils for a load. Note the placement of the coils: since the gon doesn't have a deep center sill like a coil car, the coils are placed over the trucks to prevent sagging in the middle of the car.

Chris checks in the train as it arrives. Note the EOT mounted on the front of the truck -it sure beats having to carry the large, bulky thing around by hand!

PASSING TRAINS PT 18; CDB47 PT 4

 The conclusion of CDB47...

The color parade continues.

A 45' Maersk box atop a pair of MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Co.) 20' containers -in two color schemes!

Look closely and you can see the rust on the roof of the Maersk container, as well as the side. Crossing salty oceans takes its toll!

More containers, these from Asian companies.

Another pair of 20' tank containers brings up the rear.

A light blue EOT signals the end of another train.

See you next week!

PASSING TRAINS PT 18; CDB47 PT 3

 More of CDB47...

A trio of 45' boxes stacked on 40 footers, including another "ONE".

A pair of 40' reefers. (What we need is someone to make the "clip-on" gensets that power these containers.)

More 40' containers, in a TTX MAXI STACK I car, with more CMA/CGM boxes, and another "ONE". 

Single-stacked 20' containers, including a pair of tank containers. It is interesting to note that you cannot place a single 20' container in a well: the "nubs" that hold the real containers in place are only at the 40' locations in a well; a 20' box will only be held in place at one end of the container, thus increasing the likely hood of coming loose and sliding freely in the well! This is why you will always see a pair of 20 footers in a well.

The string of containers continues, with a rainbow of colors.

While sturdy, over time these containers get worn and faded; note the rust streaks on the K-Line box, and the faded logo and paint patches on the MOL box. And note the clean, freshly re-painted MAXI I stack car, with the new red TTX logo.

A rusty APL box rides a Safmarine reefer, both in the aforementioned TTX car.

The rest of CDB47 next week.

PASSING TRAINS PT 18; CDB47 PT 2

 Train CDB47, carrying international container traffic between Chicago and Baltimore, rolls through Hillsdale...

The lead car is a Thrall well car that has been shortened from 48' to 40', and sports the latest TTX red logo. Note that the top container has been "patched up" a few times.

The lead five-unit articulated car, is another rebuilt Thrall car. Originally built with 48' wells, it too now has 40' wells to handle the more common 40' containers, since most -if not all- of the 48' domestic containers are now retired from service. Note also the variety of containers; 20', 40' dry box, 40' refrigerated and 45', with a variety of owners as well. Interesting to note that "K" Line and MOL have both merged to form ONE -and all three are loaded on this car!

Another single well rebuilt Thrall car, with a pair of 20 footers under a 40' box. The CIL container is an imaginary line, loosely related to the more common (on my layout) CIE Intermodal.

More of CDB47 next week.