PASSING TRAINS PT 29; ROADRAILER TRAIN CN20RR

 

A black locomotive rounds the curve into Hillsdale...

It's NS C40-9 8888, the last standard cab GE locomotive ever built! Today, she's pulling a joint NS/AP&W roadrailer train, CN20RR, east from Chicago to New York City.

This late-90's era train features a large number of plate wall trailers, including the then-new Versa-Railers: these featured lifting pads to allow them to also be used in conventional TOFC service as well.

An Alliance Shippers reefer is among the many AP&W roadrailers.

A Swift unit, a CIE unit, and another Alliance Shippers roadrailer.

More AP&W roadrailers, followed by more Swift 'railers. Most of the Swift trailers actually spent most of their lives on the West Coast, but some have ventured east to be in this train.

A string of ACSZ roadrailers, leased to UPS. ACS is the AP&W's trailer leasing arm.

Behind the ACSZ's are a pair of Schneider National roadrailers.

Finally, the NS Triple Crown units!

More AP&W units round out the train.  Unfortunately, while great in concept, this train didn't last long, as the limitations of the roadrailers prevented the concept from catching on. The extra weight of the trailers reduced the amount of cargo they could carry, plus most shippers don't like specialized equipment unless they need it, and conventional trailers are both lighter, cheaper and less "exotic" -i.e. easier to maintain without the special suspension needed to allow the wheels to be lifted up for rail service and lowered for road service. They also had special underframes, to allow the trailers to be connected both to each other and to the rail boogies they rode on as well as a pair of trainline pipes for the air brakes. The final nail in the coffin was the 53' domestic container; versatile and lightweight - and able to be double-stacked. CN20RR and NC20RR (the return trip) only lasted from late '95-early 2001.

TOWN LIFE PT 18; EASTER SUNDAY

 

Easter Sunday finds traffic on County Lane on the lighter side.

As church lets out, traffic will soon increase a bit!

The two SUV's are still parked in front of the Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q after morning services, as a woman and child walk home from church.

SD40 3163 rests in the yard, as most of the local crew is off today.

Not everybody is off, however. Jim and Hank are on the job as an intermodal freight passes through.

No Easter eggs, but an Easter semi! A purple KW pulls a rainbow-colored Maersk container.

HAPPY EASTER!

PASSING TRAINS PT 28; PITT29 PT 2

 The second half of PITT29...

Interstate Heritage unit 8105 pulls PITT29 on through Hillsdale Yard.

The string of former crude oil cars, now re-assigned to ethanol.

A pair of 60' TBOX TTX boxcars. These will be forwarded to the GE appliance park in Louisville Ky.

Several empty kaolin tank cars. When they get to Pittsburgh, they will be routed south to Georgia for re-loading.

Both cars are UTLX; 301548 has a blue underbody, while 24463 has a black underbody.

Another 60' TBOX. This one is loaded -with IKEA furniture!

A pair of 50' ABOX boxcars that have seen better days. At least the first one has been repainted!

ABOX 52039 has had plenty of "paint patches" applied to its sides but the original lettering still shows as bright yellow "shadows" on the car sides where the black lettering has faded off. Note that the plug door has been repainted. These "combo-door" cars were designed to allow a wider door opening when needed, but if not, the plug door can stay closed, providing a tight seal to the car side.

An old VTTX spine car. It was originally an 85' flatcar, class G85, built in the mid 60's. The prominent feature of these cars was the large center sill, with a deck on either side for the trailer wheels to rest on. During the late 80's, with the short length being a detriment (it couldn't carry more than one 45' trailer, while 89' cars could carry two) the cars were stripped of their decks and rebuilt as container-only spine cars, capable of carrying either 40' or 20' containers. With the increase in container traffic featuring 45' and longer boxes, they have once again become dated, and are rarely seen today. This one still has its original paint!

Another car still in its original paint is this empty Trinity well car. Originally designed by Pullman Standard, the "Backpacker" features 40' wells and low sides. Like most well cars of the mid-late 80's, the Backpacker was designed for moving international containers; the design fell out of favor as the rise of 48' domestic containers let to longer well cars. Ironically, 40' well cars have become popular once again for the same reason the originals were built -to carry international container traffic!

PASSING TRAINS PT 28; PITT27 PT 1

Interstate RR Heritage unit 8105 leads PITT27, the priority express between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, west.

A trio of MR&T cars are on the head end, headed back home to Wisconsin.

A CHTT coil car and a patched CEFX boxcar.

Two tank cars, one carrying refined oil, the other loaded with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride -used in the petrochemical and polymer industries. Because of  the highly corrosive nature of the cargo, the tank car has an orange band to help first responders identify it as a potential hazard in the event of a wreck or derailment.

A CRLE 60' high cube boxcar is followed by an empty black and white TILX tank car.

PITT27 threads its way through Hillsdale Yard.

The white TILX tank cars are all empty.

TILX 352834 displays the features of her sisters; white body with a black band, yellow conspicuity striping, and 1987 placards signifying a re-assignment from crude oil to ethanol hauling.

The second half of PITT27 next week.