HOLIDAY WEEKEND PT 5

 The end of July brings the end of the train meet from the Fourth, as we look at the conclusion of  IC208...

More EMP containers.

A pair of Swift containers.

A blue ex-Pacer Stack Train MAXI IV with a load of blue containers, including a pair of used containers now owned by leasing companies. The first containers are "ocean" containers, meaning that they can be used in international traffic, despite their 53' length; the top one is an ex-APL box. Incidentally, the middle top container is also an ex-Pacer unit like the car!

The tail end of the train is spine cars, carrying both containers and trailers. Werner is one of the trucking companies embracing intermodal, while DRT is a new player.

More trailers and containers, including a KLLM reefer trailer.

A Swift Veteran's tribute trailer provides a fitting end to both a patriotic month -and a pair of patriotic locomotive-led trains!

HOLIDAY WEEKEND PT 4

 Continuing from the weekend of the Fourth, we now look at train IC208, led by the America units...

A look at the head-end of IC208, which is stopped for a crew change, while IC49 rolls past.

More of IC208, showing the string of FedEx boxes in the train.

Crew change complete, 1776 roars to life as she and her sisters lug IC208 eastward once again.

The trio round the curve out of town.

A number of C.R. England refrigerated containers are on the head end, including this one riding a Swift container, in a Florida East Coast 53' all-purpose well car.

Another C. R. England reefer rides an XPO Logistics container in a TTX 53' Husky Stack.

There are also a number of EMP containers in the train as well.

Next week, the rest of IC208.

HOLIDAY WEEKEND PT 3

 More from the weekend of the Fourth, when two trains with special units met in Hillsdale...

Finishing up IC49...

A re-painted MAXI I stack car rounds the corner, with a pair of 20' containers below a 45' "K" Line box.

Another 45-footer, this one a Maersk, rides a white ONE box, followed by a pair of 20' tank containers. Due to the combined weight of the (loaded) tanks, no containers are stacked on top.

A new AP&W Trinity well car shows the first two of its five wells. Note the "Thrall" design of the car; Trinity bought its competitor in 2001, but largely kept the design intact.

Two more of the wells, displaying a variety of companies; note the "K" Line refrigerator container underneath the 45 MSC box.

The final well has another MSC box, with another 45' box in the top spot; this one a magenta ONE box.

A re-built Gunderson well car, with the red logo.

Another rebuilt Gunderson, with a "patch" logo.

Another Gunderson car, this one an un-rebuilt Husky Stack 48' well car, which has been repainted with the new logo. Note the two CMA CGM containers have different paint schemes -neither of which match the container in the previous car!

Another rebuilt Thrall ex-48' well car, this one still with the old logo. The first well must have a pair of heavily loaded 20-footers, as there is no container on top of them.

The rest of the car has more containers from a variety of operators (why I love international traffic!). 

The final well has a pair of UASC containers; the top one is leased, hence the brown color -and small lettering.

The final car is a rebuilt Thrall well car, with the new logo and a CIE box on top.

Next week, the other train, led by the America units, takes center stage!

HOLIDAY WEEKEND PT 2

     Last week, we saw two trains led by specially painted units. Now, a closer look at IC49, led by 530...

Another look at ET44AC 530, the POW-MIA unit.

She is joined by ET44AC 536, which carries a small Operation Lifesaver decal on the fireman's side.

A Trinity Backpacker well car is on the head-end, with the new red logo "patched" onto the car over the old paint. The grey container is a COSCO open top.

Another Backpacker, this one with the old TTX logo and a pair of Hapag Lloyd open top containers.

A look at one of the open tops. Often these have loads that are taller than the container itself!

Yet another open top, this time a ZIM (Israeli company) container. Also, another Hapag Lloyd container, but a regular box.

 

A third Hapag Lloyd open top. The car is a rebuilt ex-48' Thrall well car with both the new logo and the "Next Load Any Road" decal.

A rebuilt 5-unit well car, again with the new logo -and a "rainbow" Maersk container!

A well-used rebuilt Thrall car, with Hapag Lloyd and CIE containers.

A grimy rebuilt Gunderson well car, with an equally grimy Dong Fang container in the top position.

A 40' Maersk box rides a 45' NYK box, all in a rare 48' Thrall TWF10 well car. While other 48' well cars have been/ are being rebuilt, the TWF10's  are not due to both the small size of the class (only 75 built) and the unique design of the car with side springs to support the car on special trucks instead of conventional trucks with a center plate. While even fewer are left, they definitely stand out in a train!

The rest of IC49 next week.

HOLIDAY WEEKEND PT 1

 It's the Fourth of July weekend! Some get a four-day weekend, while others have to work on Monday...

Lots of beer will be consumed; so the beer trucks are rolling!

The America units are back in town with an intermodal train, IC208.

And meeting them is freshly out-shopped ET44AC 530; the Memorial unit! It, too. is leading an intermodal train, IC49.

The America units and 530 aren't the only special units in town. GP40 50 is fresh from the shops as well, painted gold to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Operation Lifesaver -an organization dedicated to grade crossing safety.

The Hillsdale Yard crew gathers to witness a rare event; two trains led by commemorative engines meeting each other around the time of the Fourth of July -with a third one in the yard!

Next week, we'll take a quick look at both trains, but until then HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!