Hey fellow railroaders! I wish to suggest a weekly thread called TEAM TRACK TUESDAY.
I've been thinking of introducing this thread for quite some time now. My thinking is that it can be a fun way to engage forum members in a weekly creative experience in scene making on our layouts. Team tracks seem to always provide a variety of interest to me because there was always something new being unloaded or loaded each time I would drive by...be it a boxcar load of Christmas trees in mid November to be sold by the local Boys club, lumber being unloaded from a flat car or boxcar, heavy equipment being unloaded off a special kind of flat car, cement being unloaded from covered hoppers onto hopper trucks, maintenance of way equipment being stored for the weekend, the big hook unloading steel beams, etc. I always loved the activity provided by what was ever on the team track!
One of the most frequently used sidings on any railroad is the team track. Back in the day before motorized trucks and autos, wagons, pulled by a team of horses, would be positioned next to ( or between ) freight cars parked on what came to be known as team tracks. In the larger cities there would be many team tracks, adjacent to one another, spaced far enough apart to drive a team of horses between the waiting freight cars. Goods were transferred from the wagon onto the freight cars or vice - versa. Later the horses would be replaced by gasoline engine powered trucks, however, the term " team track" stuck around.
Team tracks were for the general public, small business, and the like loading/unloading. Another name used for " team track" would be "The Public Delivery Track" ( like the former OGR advertiser ) Even the smaller rural railroad stations had team tracks.
Here are some photos of whats being unloaded on team tracks on the Free State Junction Railway this week! Lets see your whats being loaded or unloaded ( or even parked ) on your team tracks!! Photos of real trains prototypical team tracks are also welcomed. As this initial thread is starting a bit late for this Tuesday feel free to add your photos on Wednesday or for that matter all week. I'll be happy to start a new TEAM TRACK TUESDAY each week in the same spirit as SWITCHER SATURDAY and WEEKEND PHOTO FUN and other fine and interesting weekly threads here on the FORUM!
