Unusual connected gondolas used on a UP work train

That is a lot safer than having one of those "Creepy-Crawlers" skimming over the the tops of the cars! This isn't the exact piece of equipment that I had in mind, but, it is pretty close.

 The sides of the cars open  as well. That type of car has been around forever. "hart car" although these are a little fancier. .  When I first started (1965) as a brakeman I was assigned to a work train unloading ballast.  W had about 30 hart  cars, a caboose, that we lived in. 2 geeps , a steam generator , a Lidgerwood,(which is a big steam driven winch) A right hand plow in one car.  a left hand plow in another , bunk cars and a few other tool  cars with all   the stuff required.

 

anyway....  a plow (either right or left) was pulled through the cars by the winch and ballast was unloaded out the side doors.

 

No radios. the Road - master would be back behind the plow and  had a green flag that he would  wave telling the winch operator to start winding up the cable. Another red flag for stop.

 

Our job as the train crew was to switch the cars as necessary, stretch out the cable. and move the train as required by the road-master. Unloading was often on the fly.( All in train order territory)

More than you wanted to hear.. I often wonder what happened to all that old junk.

The photo in the top post is a GREX SlotMachine

 

---PCJ

The GREX Slotmachine and powered SPS unit are shown in the GREX brochure.  The complete Slotmachine unit has 11 sections. According to the GREX data the wheelbase for each section is 33 feet. Total length is 378 feet for all 11 units.

 

See attachment.

 

Conrail had something called a "Jimbo crane"- it was similar to what Big Jim posted but without the rollers.  It moved itself along the gons like that one, and I do seem to remember them breaking down a lot.

In this area, they now use a Brandt hi-rail truck to move the tie cars, and an excavator to load/unload the ties.

I've seen both the loco-hauled and DMU versions here on the Georgetown Railroad and Union Pacific.  Apparently the company that built them is right here in the area I live!

 

There's also a "Dump Train" with several specialized hoppers and a conveyor car at one end.

 

I remember when I was little, I thought these trains were for revenue service, as there are at least two limestone quarries in the area (I'm referring to the ones in McNeil and Georgetown), and limestone traffic is expectantly quite common.