NEW YEAR'S EVE BEER RUN!

 As we close out 2023, here is one last video -a beer run!

Needless to say, the locals won't be thirsty tonight!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN PASSES THROUGH

    

 A video of this year's Christmas Train passing through town!

PASSING TRAINS PT 42; SND40 PT3

 The rest of SND40...

A 53' Gunderson well car "patched" with the new red logo.

An AOK MAXI IV car, with a white container, providing another break from the TTX yellow..

The back half of the train is comprised of spine cars loaded with trailers.

And more trailers.

A lone container amidst the trailers.

The final car brings up the markers with the flashing EOT.

PASSING TRAINS PT 42; SND40 PT2

 Last week, we saw newly repainted engine 2032 lead SND40 into Hillsdale. Now, more of the train...

A single-unit NSC 53' well car. If you look closely, you can see a small white box on the front of the top container.

The top containers in this pic also have the small white boxes; these are GPS tracking units. Note that they are add-ons -they cover-up part of the logo!

A brown BNSF car among the yellow TTX cars.

A "lightly" tagged well car. Note that there are five variations among the six containers on this car, from different build styles to different paint schemes!

Another container with a GPS unit.

A blue ex-Pacer Stack Train car interrupts the sea of TTX yellow, while a white container interrupts the sea of orange. Note also, that the top container has a white roof; this is one of the ex-Martin containers.

The end of the train next week!

PASSING TRAINS PT 42; A NEW MEMBER LEADS SND40 PT1

 Last weekend, a special unit was released in time for Veteran's Day...

The former GECX 2032, is now AP&W's Salute to Service unit.

The Department of Defense insignia is on both sides of the nose.

All six of the main service insignia's are on the flanks, surrounding the outline of the United States, with "Defending America" and "Salute To Service" across the outline.

Now, after being on display during the week in support of our nation's veterans, 2032 leads a westbound SND40 on her first revenue trip!

Her companion: POW/MIA unit 530. A great tribute to our nation's Armed forces!

A company photographer records the event, as 2032 and 530 lead SND40 through Hillsdale.

AP&W ET44AC 2032.

AP&W ET44AC 530.

And BNSF C44-9 4562, bringing up the rear; note the replacement a/c unit from a Warbonnet-painted unit.

The head-end rolls off, heading out of town. More of SND40 next week.

EXTRA 2029

 

GECX 2029 pulls into town with a string of empty MOW equipment.

Grey bulkhead flats lead the way.

Extra 2029 is moving the cars into "off season" storage for the winter, as scheduled track work winds down.

A long string of bulkhead flats.

More bulkheads!

After the bulkheads, conventional flats, in orange.

A string of orange gons.

Bringing up the rear is an old covered hopper -now used to transport sand- and a Jordan spreader. While the other cars may be headed for storage, these two are not; the Jordan often gets used to clear snow, while the sand hopper sees year-round usage. Both, evidently, have been recently repainted by the Cumberland shops.

MONSTER MOVIE HALLOWEEN!

 As Halloween approaches, terrifying things are happening in Hillsdale...

Two VERY big reptiles have invaded downtown, causing chaos and mayhem!

One of them has also attacked a local train!

"Lizzard" munches on a "Bug," as wrecked vehicles and fleeing people are left in its trail.

Fortunately, the military has arrived!

"Gator" has a pickup in his mouth. But he and "Lizzard" won't get very far...

Tanks are on the scene, ready for action.

"Lizzard" is surrounded!

More tanks are on the way to the scene! Both "Lizzard" and "Gator" will soon meet their fate!

As Halloween approaches, and monster movie marathons play, I decided to have some fun with a pair of dollar store toys (on clearance!). The overturned container is from Aurora Models, and was perfect, as I could model it with the door open while laying on the ground. And the Rock Island Hobbies flatcars and tanks were the perfect match for a "vintage" monster movie scene!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A FALL DAY

 It's fall excursion time! Appalachian 4-4-0 engine #34 is returning to Cumberland after taking railfans on a trip into the mountains.

A look at the full train, as steamer 34 rolls along.

Hillsdale's new refuse truck rolls through town. With an increase in population, a larger truck was needed, so the new truck is about one-third bigger than the old one.

A semi has pulled up with a delivery for the yard. Norman talks to the driver, while the driver's wife stands by. The purple KW tractor is a nice compliment to the magenta of the ONE container!

As Lance and Bill unload the container, notice that it is one of the Breast Cancer Awareness boxes seen last week. After Extra 500 arrived in D.C., the container was unloaded and shipped back to Hillsdale -by truck!

A SPECIAL TRAIN

Engine 500 leads a special Breast Cancer Awareness train through town. Extra 500 originated in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is making its way east to D.C. 

On the tail end are a pair of VTTX converted flatcars with each carrying a pair of specially painted ONE containers.

A close-up of one of the containers. The logo reads: "AS ONE WE CAN HOPE."
 

HWCX 7996 is owned by Halliburton, and is painted pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.

RBOX 40188 is "on Track for a Cure."

And, of course, ET44AC 500 is the Breast Cancer unit!

VTTX 300235 carries the EOT as the train rolls onward, to Washington, D.C.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Show love and support to all those who have overcome this terrible disease!