PASSING TRAINS PT 30; PITT29 PT 3

 The conclusion of PITT29...

Several empty bulkhead flatcars are headed back west for new lumber loads.

Another carbon black car.

A string of empty CRDX gons.

Another look at the MR&T hopper as it rolls past downtown.

A look at one of the CRDX gons, as it rolls past the AEI readers.

A string of empty dump cars, fresh from delivering rip-rap to a construction site in New Jersey.

A pair of Engineering Dept. cars bring up the rear.

AP&W 30 is a dynamometer car, which has been busy as of late testing new locomotives. Those test results are the reason that 30 new GE ET44AC's  -including 500- are now on the roster.

Caboose 4345 is also an Engineering Dept. car, being outfitted with testing and monitoring equipment as well. She can monitor the performance of rear-end DPU units, as the AP&W, like other railroads, has begun implementing PSR (Precision Scheduled Railroading) in an effort to become more efficient.

She also brings up the markers, as PITT29 rolls on to Pittsburgh.

Happy Memorial Day!

PASSING TRAINS PT 30; PITT29 PT 1

 More of  PITT29...

A look at one of the big TBOX cars, including "minor" graffiti.

One of a string of empty LPG tank cars.

More UTLX tank cars returning west for re-loading.

A former Golden West Service car, back in SP ownership (now UP). The paint-over of the graffiti leaves a two-tone effect of new dark blue and badly faded blue.

Another two-tone car is this Wisconsin Central car -again, the graffiti has been painted over.

The graffiti shows on this MR&T hopper, along with rust and grime. The following TBOX car is a former UP car.

An empty pressure-differential car, followed by a BKTY (Bankers Trust) car leased from GATX. The BKTY reporting marks were inherited by the UP when they acquired the MKT.

A big Trinity 6351 cuft covered hopper.

A pair of ConAgra pressure-differential hoppers, painted in support of Feeding America.

A CN boxcar. This car was originally built for one of the NRUC-owned short lines in the 70's; note the large square placard on the door.

A GTW boxcar splits the two CN cars. Of course, Grand Trunk Western is owned by Canadian National.

The end of the train next week.

PASSING TRAINS PT 30; PITT29 PT 1

 Another PITT29 freight is rolling through Hillsdale...

ET44AC 500, the Breast Cancer unit, leads today's train.

Loaded hoppers are on the head end, including this AP&W hopper with CEI (Chicago & Eastern Illinois) reporting marks.

A pair of loaded Iowa Interstate hoppers are also on the head end. What are west-bound hoppers loaded with? Imported Macadamia nuts!

A loaded car of carbon black.

A former Golden West Service boxcar, loaded with canstock (empty cans for food products).

A combo-door boxcar, with its original lettering faded away, and paint patches adding "new" yellow to the sides. According to the waybill, this car is carrying scrap paper bales.

A pair of coil cars with steel coils from a mill in New Jersey.

A short tank car, placarded 1830 -meaning it's hauling sulfuric acid.

More boxcars, the first one with the new "Pennsylvania Heritage" red logo. Both are carrying finished lumber products which require more protection than an open car can provide.

500 passes traffic on County Lane as she rolls through Hillsdale on her way to Pittsburgh. More of PITT29 next week!

MOTHER'S DAY

 

It's Mother's Day, and the church is celebrating with an ice cream stand on the front lawn!

A stretch limo is also out and about -treating one lucky mom to a visit a to Cut & Curl Beauty Shop! They are open today for a select group of women -mothers!

It may be Mother's Day, but the railroad never stops working! Here, a short string of MOW cars sit in the yard.

Tie handling equipment and a bucket truck sit on the modified flatcar. Once used in TOFC service, it now has deck rails to accommodate MOW equipment.

Several gondolas are loaded with old ties. Track work on the Pennsylvania Division is an almost annual exercise as the combination of steep grades, winter weather and frequent, heavy trains take their toll.

Xe-AP caboose 4368 sits in the yard as well. Now a "shoving platform", she is mostly used on local push/pull runs to Dale City and as rear-end protection for the HL06'HL07 trains to and from Snake Oil.

IN THE YARDS PT 10

 

As Jake goes out for lunch, Ricardo  has come back from lunch, and is returning back to work.

A string of MR&T cars sit in the yard, awaiting a west-bound freight to pick them up and start them on their back way to home rails.

The Air Products truck has arrived, and the driver will be checking in with the shop forces -on both ends of the yard.

A string of Procor tank cars sit in the East yard.

Later, a TBOX boxcar and a UP steel coil car join the tank cars.

A day later, the tank cars have been moved over several tracks. Eventually, they were picked up by a passing westbound and taken to Pittsburgh.

As IC48 rolls past, several members of the yard crew take a water break; note the case of water bottles on the saddlebag tool box of the truck. Working in Hillsdale Yard can be a sweaty job, especially when wearing the required safety vest; staying hydrated is a must!