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 are found in remote rural areas, small town, and large cities.
This week TTT celebrates the origination of the term " team track" as Patsburg begins celebrating OKTOBER FEST!!! On team track 3 in the Brewtown neighborhood of Patsburg, an Indian Wells reffer car has been spotted. The car has brought specially brewed OKTOBER FEST beer all the way from California. The Clydesdale is getting ready to pull away the beer wagon, as it will soon lead the annual Patsburg OKTOBER FEST parade down Main Street in just a few minutes. Otis the " unofficial " town liquor inspector and "booze quality control man", as he calls himself, at one point mounted the beer wagon to proclaim " this beer is the best he's ever tasted!" Bud Weiser, the foreman, talked Otis down off the beer wagon by offering Otis "one for the road". For years Otis has longed to be the Parade Marshall, as he's always thought the residents of Patsburg deserve to drink the finest beer available.
The term "team track" originated back in the 19th century. Railroads constructed spurs/sidings so a team of horse drawn wagons could pull up beside freight cars and on/off load. Large city freight terminals had many team tracks spaced wide enough apart so teams of horses could maneuver between the tracks and get their wagon next to their freight car. In small towns team tracks might be one or two spurs usually ( not always ) found at the railroad depot. All kinds of freight cars and freight ( bulk shipments ) were handled on team tracks. Near the beginning of the 20th century as horses gave way to the truck, the term " team track " stuck around, even until this day.
Lets see what's happening on your railroad's team track! Have a wonderfully fun and
creative week!! AND HAPPY OKTOBER!!
I'm sure many fire depts. both volunteer and paid received their apparatus via the railroad team tracks.
