a picture a day....

For today:  " Washington Terminal Co. RS 1 switch crew gets ready to do a run by inspection of a B&O commuter train pulled by a GP9.  There's only two geographic places which this seen could have taken place  ... one is Washington DC and the other is ... Patsburg. "

Interesting to note,   the ALCO RS 1 was the inspiration for the EMD GP9.  Both units here are running long hood forward which was the standard practice of the B&O.  As I recall seeing the RS 1s in Washington's Ivy City engine terminal  and coach yard, the majority seemed to have had their long hoods pointing north  which is the direction as they would pull away passenger cars away from Union Station's 16 stub end tracks.  Of course I would see on occasion an RS 1 with it's long hood pointed south. 

MTH tinplate freight

                       More tinplate on the "Tom Snyder" Layout at NJ Hirailers.

Rainy day so time for some [indoor] railroading:

For today:  B&O MOW workers " Mmmmm .... where do we begin? " 

Here’s one of my favourites

Al

For today:  " This car's next move .... the scale track "

                                            Car Shops- NJ Hi Railers- Paterson, NJ  

The Empire State Express is heading up to Buffalo....

Aboard the Southwest Chief near Glorieta Pass, c. 1981:

What is wrong with this pic? How was I able to take this pic obviously NOT through a window? Answer: I was standing in an open doorway. The train was standing still and the Conductor was down on the ground so the door was open. Why were we stopped? Sunkinks. It was a hot summer day and out ahead the track had been forced out of alignment by thermal expansion. We waited 'til someone inspected the spot and we then proceeded under a slow order.

            hey Lew, which car were you riding in...

                    later that evening... 

             hopefully things cooled off,  and the tracks ahead are all good...

Brian, Eggcellent! 

I was probably in the Lounge with our Kiddos looking out those big windows:

Note the Star Wars figures. Some important battle was probably deciding the fate of Galaxies while we rolled over Raton Pass and later in the day Glorieta Pass.

Great story Lew! You just never know about that Brian he's always a jokester. 

On a cloudy day, some years ago...

The sisters are in Norway on the Flåm Railway.  They report some nice views.

Just finished painting this Donald Duck caboose. Now it’s ready for the MoPac system.

Took these the evening before last.

Two of these Amtrak train came within less than a minute. I was only about a quarter mile away from seeing a running meet...

For today:  " When you got to go you've got to go!"  

Hawkshaw posted:

Just finished painting this Donald Duck caboose. Now it’s ready for the MoPac system.

Great Custom work Hawk

Brian, pretty soon those hot Summer Night runs are gonna' turn into blizzard-y Winter Night runs. Hmmmm. How to do blowing snow....

      well, I just rent a snow machine Lew...

For today: " On the station platform "

trumptrain posted:

For today: " On the station platform "

 Hey Pat, the chick in the green shirt looks like she's had too much to drink'... She is a little tipsy ... 

Train ready to pull out of town....except that actually means backing out of town. Since the Plywood Empire Route is so thrifty (poor) it doesn't have a passing siding the train runs backwards on the return run from town to interchange. Hence the old UP Hack.

It provides a place for the Conductor at the rear (now head-end) of the train. He directs the Hogger by radio and if worst-comes-to-worst he can pull the air  to stop the train. No problem really because the pike is so thrifty (poor) at saving $$ on track maintenance that FRA has placed a 15mph speed restriction on the line  so everything happens at a nice slow pace. 

See the person in the cupola? That's the old rich guy who owns the train painted in Rio Grande livery. The crew lets him ride anytime he wants.

For today: " Fall is in the air!" 

My contribution