PASSING TRAINS PT 18; CDB47 PT 3

 More of CDB47...

A trio of 45' boxes stacked on 40 footers, including another "ONE".

A pair of 40' reefers. (What we need is someone to make the "clip-on" gensets that power these containers.)

More 40' containers, in a TTX MAXI STACK I car, with more CMA/CGM boxes, and another "ONE". 

Single-stacked 20' containers, including a pair of tank containers. It is interesting to note that you cannot place a single 20' container in a well: the "nubs" that hold the real containers in place are only at the 40' locations in a well; a 20' box will only be held in place at one end of the container, thus increasing the likely hood of coming loose and sliding freely in the well! This is why you will always see a pair of 20 footers in a well.

The string of containers continues, with a rainbow of colors.

While sturdy, over time these containers get worn and faded; note the rust streaks on the K-Line box, and the faded logo and paint patches on the MOL box. And note the clean, freshly re-painted MAXI I stack car, with the new red TTX logo.

A rusty APL box rides a Safmarine reefer, both in the aforementioned TTX car.

The rest of CDB47 next week.

PASSING TRAINS PT 18; CDB47 PT 2

 Train CDB47, carrying international container traffic between Chicago and Baltimore, rolls through Hillsdale...

The lead car is a Thrall well car that has been shortened from 48' to 40', and sports the latest TTX red logo. Note that the top container has been "patched up" a few times.

The lead five-unit articulated car, is another rebuilt Thrall car. Originally built with 48' wells, it too now has 40' wells to handle the more common 40' containers, since most -if not all- of the 48' domestic containers are now retired from service. Note also the variety of containers; 20', 40' dry box, 40' refrigerated and 45', with a variety of owners as well. Interesting to note that "K" Line and MOL have both merged to form ONE -and all three are loaded on this car!

Another single well rebuilt Thrall car, with a pair of 20 footers under a 40' box. The CIL container is an imaginary line, loosely related to the more common (on my layout) CIE Intermodal.

More of CDB47 next week.

PASSING TRAINS PT 18; CDB47 PT 1

 Now that DBW11 has cleared the main (from last week), a passing train comes through...

CDB47, the Chicago-D.C./Baltimore international traffic intermodal train rolls in behind a trio of GE ET44AC demonstrators.

As is usual for international container traffic, a colorful variety of containers is in the train.

A pair of 40' China Shipping containers ride between 40' reefers.

The lead engine passes the recently installed AEI (Automatic Equipment Identifier) reader, helping the railroad track the train's movement.

The cars of DBW11 are parked in the yard as CDB47 rolls past.

Starting next week, we'll look at the variety of containers -and well cars- in the train.

DBW11

 3163 is back from Dale City with train DBW11 in tow...

Running long hood forward due to the lack of turning facilities, 3163 enters the yard.

The head brakeman, Mark, prepares to step off as the engineer slows the train down. Jason went off duty in Dale City -where he lives- and Mark took his place. Tomorrow morning, a driver will take Mark back to Dale City, and bring Jason back to Hillsdale. Apparently, corporate is unaware of the local labor agreements!

Chris watches as a load of pipe rolls past, followed by a load of rebar.

More pipe, loaded in 65' RailGon gondolas, rolls in.

A loaded coil car headed west. This car is a long way from northern Oklahoma!

After the steel loads, a short set of empties from Johnson Foods, including this pressure differential hopper.

Behind the pair of Cold Train Express reefers, is an empty vegetable oil tank car, and the caboose.

3163 pulls through the yard in order to begin switching the cars.

The switching job is a short one; simply splitting the train in half, with the loads on one track, and the empties on another.While all the cars are headed west, they will be leaving on separate trains as the empties will be routed through West Virginia, while the steel cars will head to Pittsburgh before being sent onward.

The main is now clear for the next passing train -stay tuned next week!

DBW10

 SD40 3163, the local engine, prepares outgoing train DBW10 for departure...

Fired up and ready, 3163 moves along the yard track. She'll be starting with the string of loaded scrap gons next track over.

Coupled up, she now moves forward with the loads. As usual, loads are carried on the head end for better train handling; lighter, empty cars tend to derail more easily when much heavier cars are placed behind them in a train.

Chris spots the engine as she backs up to the next string of cars.

Jason watches as the string of empty coil cars gets pulled out after being added to DBW10.

Jason waits by the final set of cars, a string of empty bulkhead flats. He's the one who's been connecting the air lines between cars and releasing the brakes so they can be moved.

As the train gets assembled, 3183 will almost exit the yard limits! Due to the fouling of the main, switching has to be done between passing trains.

With it's train almost complete, 3163 waits as the engineer performs one final task before leaving for Dale City -the brake test..

Jason has connected the caboose to the end, and is waiting for the brake test to be completed before climbing aboard for the trip to Dale City. While most remaining cabooses nowadays are locked up to keep people out, 4312 still can be occupied -a good thing when the brakeman doesn't want to walk a train length to the locomotive cab!

DBW10 heads out. With the line through Hillsdale seeing an average of 20 trains a day, it takes skilled and competent crews to switch the yard and keep the local trains running without interfering with the passing traffic. The men of Hillsdale Yard do their job, and do it well.