IN THE YARDS PT 15

 

Her excursion run finished, 1645 is inspected in Hillsdale Yard.

The crew is ready to get on board and fire her back up for the trip back home to Cumberland, where she was built in 1942, and has resided ever since.

Security, as always, is paramount; vandals could do some serious damage -and not just with spray cans- to a steamer. Brad has kept a close eye on 1645 overnight as she stayed in Hillsdale, and actually chased off several would-be trespassers -who had cameras in hand!

This machine will be used to re-fill 1645's tender with coal. While a gondola full of coal would be easier, today it will be trucked in.

A local contractor has arrived with a load of coal for 1645. While not nearly enough to fill her tender, it will be enough to get her back home, as she will be running light.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the yard, sit several modern diesels -including a pair of brand-new ET44AC's.

There is also a string of empty corn syrup tank cars just returned from City Fizz. Visible are two of the four.

MEMORIAL DAY STEAM EXCURSION PT 2

 A special Memorial Day steam excursion between Pittsburgh and D.C. passes through Hillsdale...

A baggage-lounge car is behind the head-end power generator car, providing accommodations for staff and their equipment.

Appalachian dome car "Kentucky" used to travel between Chicago and Pittsburgh on the Iron Maker -so named because the train not only went to Pittsburgh, but also passed through Gary, Indiana, another steel city. At the time, clearance issues prevented the car from operating all the way to D.C., but now it can!

Full dome car "Tennessee" once traveled between Chicago and Miami, Florida on the Joanne Jackson; a jointly operated train between the APRR, MC&K (Memphis, Chattanooga & Knoxville) and FEC (Florida East Coast).

Former B&O car "Moonlight Dome" is a Budd-built "Strata-Dome", that is actually a sleeper! It originally operated on the B&O's Capital Limited between Chicago and Washington D.C.

The final two cars are privately owned by Railcar Charter Service, including this ex-New York Central Club Lounge car.

A round end observation brings up the rear. This car was originally owned by the Great Northern, and ran on the Empire Builder between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest.