PASSING TRAINS PT4; PITT27 PT3

The conclusion of PITT27...

An older 68' bulkhead flatcar is among the Trailer Train cars in the train. Note the deck risers.

Another look at some of the tank cars in the train as it rolls past downtown. The corn syrup tank cars are leased from UTLX by Corn Products Corporation.

Another look at the bulkhead flatcar, passing its RailBox cousins. While most of these cars had their deck risers removed in the 70's, some still kept them. These cars are now being retired from service as they are at the fifty -year age limit for interchange service.

A TTZX car leads another string of centerbeam bulkhead flats.

An unusual grey car -with red lettering! I photographed one of these CRLE cars, and the Atlas model is nearly spot-on.

An empty AP&W flatcar brings up the rear.
Until next week!

PASSING TRAINS PT4; PITT27 PT2

Last week saw the arrival of Pitt27 from Philadelphia, on its way to Pittsburgh. More of the train...

A Specialty Minerals tank car is followed by more centerbeam bulkhead flatcars.

A Canadian Pacific NSC covered hopper, sub-lettered SOO, leads a string of  oil-carrying tank cars, including an AGP car.

The other four cars are dedicated to biodiesel, which the AP&W is VERY interested in, as a potential emissions reduction fuel.

Lake Erie Biofuels is leasing these cars from Trinity Rail Services, hence the TILX reporting marks.

More 60' high-cube boxcars, this time in the new TTX TBOX paint scheme.
The rest of the train next week.

PASSING TRAINS PT4; PITT 27 PT1

The steady parade of trains continue through Hillsdale...

PITT 27 rolls under the bridge with a priority manifest bound for Pittsburgh.

Today's train is pulled by AC4400 8105, the Interstate heritage unit. A single 4400hp unit is sufficient for the short train. The trailing boxcar is a former UP car, now owned by TTX.

There are lots of 60' high-cube boxcars in the train, including these two Canadian cars; one for CN and one for rival CP.

There are also lots of empty centerbeam bulkhead cars returning west for re-loading.

Another 60' high-cube, this one an NS car, followed by a string of Corn Products corn syrup tank cars.
As usual, more of the train next week.

IC48; PT3

The conclusion of IC48...

A pair of Vanhool tank containers fill a 40' well car -rebuilt  from a 48' all-purpose car- near its capacity. Another pair of COSCO containers follow.

A MOL (Mitsui O.S.K. Line) container rides atop yet another COSCO box. A pair of GE Seaco containers follow, all in the wells of an AP&W Maxi Stack IV car.

Another pair of CMA/CGM containers, one 40' and the top one 45', followed by a pair of  Waterfront Leasing 40' boxes to end the train.

Again, lots of China Shipping, as the train heads out of town.

The return (to Asia) traffic in IC48 rolls through Hillsdale Yard. On the AP&W, international intermodal traffic is a lower priority than domestic traffic, but is still handled in a timely manner -the shippers have already waited a month for their goods to cross the ocean!

IC48; PT2

From last week...

As noted last week, IC48 is loaded with international intermodal traffic headed to Chicago. And once again, there are more China Shipping containers, along with an MCC container -yet another Far East shipper. Note the AOK stack car in TTX yellow. Most class 1 railroads don't own stack cars, but class 3 regional Arkansas-Oklahoma does!

Another China Shipping box, along with another pair of MCC containers. Also, a pair of CMA-CGM  boxes, in two different schemes! The other green container is owned by Capital Leasing.

Yep, still more China Shipping 45' containers, this time in a 48' Husky Stack repainted into the new TTX scheme. Given that 48' containers are rarely seen anymore, and 48' well cars are being removed from service as a result, the fact that this car was repainted is pretty amazing. Behind it is a 53' well car, with a pair of 40' Uniglory containers -in two different colors!

Once again, 40' and 45' containers in a 53' well car are not the most efficient way to do things, but it gets the job done. Behind the 3-unit set, is a single 40' well car -rebuilt from a 48' car- with a pair of 20' tank containers. Given that they are single- stacked, they are probably loaded -tank containers tend to be on the heavy side.

And so too can 20' boxes. More China Shipping and COSCO units. Recently, these two companies have merged into COSCO Shipping.
The rest of the train next week.