SOM bethagon coal porters

I found this on goggle Joe. I also found a you tube video showing hoppers pulled by CSX, In the video the cars had a large SR at one end. Paul

The Somerset Railroad (reporting mark SOM) is a shortline railroad that operates in Niagara County, New York. The railroad was built with the primary objective of providing coal to the Kintigh Generating Station, a 675 megawatt coal-fired power plant located in Somerset, New York. The railroad was built in 1983 by the New York State Electric and Gas Co. using new and old rights of way. From Lockport, New York, it runs on the defunct International Railway Co. (IRC) interurban (intercity trolley) line opened in 1900 under the name Buffalo, Lockport & Olcott Beach (BL&OB) which became part of the IRC in 1902. From Newfane, New York, the SOM sweeps off the IRC (abandoned in 1937) to the Hojack Line in Appleton, New York (Township of Newfane, Niagara County, NY), to West Somerset in the Town of Somerset. It then swings off on new trackage to a series of spurs and a loop at the Kintigh Generating Station.

Although the Somerset Railroad owns 428 rotary-dump gondola cars, CSX provides their motive power and operates the railroad. Prior to the acquisition of Conrail by Norfolk Southern and CSX in 1998, Conrail provided motive power. The Somerset Railroad right of way includes 15.59 miles (25 km) of trackage, known as the Somerset Secondary. Unit coal trains leaving from Youngstown, Ohio, run to Erie, Pennsylvania, followed by Buffalo, then north to the Niagara Branch, where they swing off onto the Lockport Subdivision, and finally in Lockport onto the Somerset Secondary.

The coal cars are unloaded using a rotary car dumper at the power plant. Also on the line in Lockport is a chemical plant, Vanchlor, which receives anhydrous ammonia via the railroad. The first train on the line ran in November 1983. Power was provided by four Conrail GE B23-7s. The lead unit's number was #1926.

A coal train powered by four B23-7's... Wish I could have heard that chugging along!

 I must be having another "duh..." moment. I should probably look for SOM and not SRR!

Might be why I found a pic of it last week and can't this week.

Hey Joe,

How about JAIX coal hoppers which are leased.

Regards,

Frank

 

 

Here you go............CSX Coal Train to Kintigh Generating Station - Somerset, NY

 

Hey Joe,

 

Are these the hoppers cars you're looking for?

 

Regards,

Frank

 

 Thanks Frank. Yeap those are the cars. I had one pic and the lettering looked while. A saw a second pic with the logo looking yellow. I can't even tell what color the actual car is? I thought it had a black background behind the logo and in a pic I found, my girl thinks it's some off blue color? I really thought it was from all the dirty coal dust.

 I already ordered custom decals so I may have to chose my own color schemes?

 

Hi Joe,

 

Is that a BETHGON II COAL PORTER from Accucraft? 1:29? How do you like this hopper? solid and tuff?

 

Regards,

Frank

 

I like it overall. The plastic used for the grabs seems flimsy. I wish they were metal. I wish the stir-ups on the bottom were better shaped and made of metal. I'm impressed overall and I'll buy more. I like the trucks so far. (I just wrote a review on LSC.)

 Can anyone tell me what colors are used on the car? I'm thinking the coal dust is messing with my eyes and I can't tell what the original colors were.

 I've watched all the videos and downloaded pics and still can't tell. Some cars lettering appears white as if it's cleaner while most are yellowish. If that's from the coal dust then what was the rest of the car's colors? Maybe they changed the colors?

 

Hey Joe, 

 

Check this out.........

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/s...p?286942-Unit-Trains

 

Regards,

Frank

 

 

 

 

 Thanks Frank. I've been staring at them and I'm color blind. My girl says some type of bluish background behind the logo. I may leave the car silver and try and weather it? Looks like they're all filthy. I was hoping for a clean one.

Hi Joe,

 

Here is a little better view. Hard to find a clean coal car! )))

http://www.railcarphotos.com/P...ls.php?PhotoID=24183

 

Regards,

Frank

 

 

It appears someone tried to clean a spot on this one.

I think that there may be a couple of paint schemes in play here.  I can remember seeing Somerset drags parked at the NS yard in Gang Mills, NY.  Most of the hoppers had "Somerset Railroad" lettered on the sides as shown on the left of Frank's first photo.  Those were a dark blue with yellow lettering although when dirty it was hard to see the dark blue. 

 

There were also a few hoppers in the consist like those shown by Frank in his second photo with the blue and yellow "SR" logo in the corner and the rest of the hopper in a shade of gray just a little lighter than battleship gray. 

 

I'd say that from the drags I've seen at Gang Mills the full lettering style significantly outnumbers the other style but I have no data to support that feeling.

 

Poppyl 

 Thank you! It helps.

I could not find a good dark blue in a spray can. I painted this navy over black and tried to do it while wet and let the black bleed thru a bit. It looked bad so I gave it another coat of blue. Now I'll have to weather it a bit or maybe chalk it up for fading?

 Still needs the decals and a clear coat.