IT's TEAM TRACK TUESDAY!! Share your team track photos here!
Team tracks are a vital part of day to day real railroad operations. Team tracks can make for exciting modeling as well, adding variety to any model railroad or toy train layout. Team tracks are found in remote rural locations, small towns, and large cities. Most every kind of freight car can be off/on loaded on a team team track as can some passenger train head end cars and MOW equipment too.
The Annual Patsburg Horse Show is being held at Mr. Ed's Equestrian Center just outside of Patsburg. This year ( 1950 ) the star of the show is the 1948 Triple Crown Winner , Citation! He's joined other horses of fame ( 1949 Kentucky Derby winner Ponder, and 1950 Derby winner Middle Ground ) in a Western Maryland baggage car ( modified for horse travel of course) for the rail ride on the Free State Junction Railway to Patsburg's team track 2.
As the car has been set out after sundown, the unloading takes place under the yard lights. You will see Citation, wearing blanket, coming down the ramp as his trainer Mr. Ben Jones ( wearing white hat and smoking a corncob pipe ) keeps a close eye on the unloading process. Citation's jockey, Eddie Arcaro, whispers into Citation's ear as Citation lowers his head to hear what Eddie has to say.
I've been eager to create this scene for almost a year. I was hoping to find a real model horse car for they do exist, however, prices are out of my budget . This Western Maryland baggage car was the best I could do. My other baggage cars did not have doors tall enough to accommodate the horses. In actuality, I doubt if the WM ever transported race horses, being that Pennsy serviced Pimlico ( home of the Preakness ) in Baltimore and B&O could service Charlestown in West Virginia and Laurel Racecourse ( home of the DC International ) since their mainlines ran close by.
There was recently an interesting thread here on the OGR forum discussing horse cars. I found it to be most informative. Do a search and check it out.
Be sure to post your photos here and let's see the team track action on your railroad! Have a wonderfully creative and fun week! See ya next week on the TEAM TRACK! 
