That's it For 2008

I'm down for the holidays. It's been quite a year. Big things have happened both good and bad. I think it's certain we will be seeing many changes in what rail transportation looks like over the next two to five years.

Be seeing you in 2009 after I go someplace warm for awhile.

Boxcars Get Huge

This is the largest one I've seen. Conrail 244039 has 8 doors and was used to transport automobile stamped parts to General Motors plants. It is over 86 Ft. long and 18 Ft. high. Truly high-cube. This was donated to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Built by Pullman-Standard in 1966 as class X60V for New York Central, later Penn Central No. 293856. Gift 2007 of Eric Levin.

Boxcars Get Cold

One of the major advances in railroading was the development of the refrigerated car or "reefer", allowing shipment of fresh fruit and other produce to markets in cities across the country. Fruit Growers Express was a combination of East Coast railroads just like Pacific Fruit Express carried Western produce. Until the middle to late 20th century ice was the refrigerant of choice. This 1924 car has a display showing workers icing the car on track #4 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. It is a 33 ft. car.

The French do it, Why Can't We?

Do we even have a place in the U.S. where we could run this type of high speed train test?

Boxcars Get Bigger

Pennsylvania Railroad 19103 is an insulated steel 40 Ft. boxcar built in 1961 at the PRR's Samuel Rea car shops in Hollidaysburg, PA. Boxcars not only gained in length but in width and height as well. Car measurements are all interior dimensions. This PRR class X-54 is on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Ten Great Locomotives

In the January, 2009 issue of Trains Magazine there is a good article "The 10 Locomotives That Changed Railroading". Some of the choices seem obvious to me, the others required a lot of editorial work to get the list down to the ten number. There have been so many great locomotives.

Here's the list:
4-4-0 American
4-6-2 Pacific
2-8-4 Berkshire
4-6-6-4 Challenger
EMD FT
Alco RS1
EMP GP7
GE U25B
EMD SD40-2
GE ES44

Boxcars Small

This is the smallest boxcar I could find in my own photos. It is Denver & Rio Grande Western 3132 on display on a piece of narrow gauge trestle at Cimmaron Creek, Colorado. The markings say it is 25 Ft. long inside.

Central of Vermont 40025 is a 30 Ft. wooden boxcar built in 1924 and part of the rolling stock stable of the Strasburg Railroad in Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Delaware & Hudson 19607 is a 30 Ft. wooden boxcar on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Built in 1907 by American Car & Foundry.

Tank Car - Rough

Looking rough but still in service Strasburg Railroad # 05 is Ex Reading Company built in 1906. Used by SRC for storing fire protection water and for filling and boiler-washing engines.

Tank Car - Shiny

Tidewater Oil #1367 was built in 1923 by General American Tank Car but looks brand new at the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania. EX Central of New Jersey; engine fuel car for NJ Dept. of Transit, Bayhead, NJ.

Strasburg Railroad Engine Servicing

Each day during the Strasburg Railroad's operating season begins with coaling and watering the locomotive(s) for the day's schedule. My video shows coaling No. 89 and watering No. 475 (the only operational 12-wheel locomotive in the USA.