This looks like a maintenance of way work train. The first car is possibly a 50' high sided gondola, second car is a 50' flatcar with a small crane sitting on it, third car is a standard 50’ gondola, fourth car is also. It's either setting out or picking up ties.
retsignalmtrCould be the conductor is just drying out his T-shirt.
Or maybe he's surrendering?
Take a close look at the crane. It's on treads, so it's not a "crane car" but just a worn-out flatcar with a crane driven on to it. From the bend in the flatcar bed, the crane may be more than the car is designed to handle.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Could be the conductor is just drying out his T-shirt.
mbinsewiAlso, is that a white flag on the conductors side, or am I seeing it wrong? Mike
Mike,In that era where the flag is located would be the fireman/head brakemaan side.. The conductor would be in the caboose where he belongs.
The white flag means "extra".
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I agree, new ties being distributed. Blow up the pic, and you see new ties in fron to the loco, at at the side.
Also, is that a white flag on the conductors side, or am I seeing it wrong?
Mike
My You Tube
Noting the surroundings, I suspect you are looking at a MW train set up for distributing new ties along a stretch of rail scheduled for overhaul.
Once the new ties are in place, the same beat-up gondolas and crawler crane on flatcar will be back to collect the old, rejected ties.
On my stretch of the JNR, the old wood ties have already been collected, except for the two every 20 meters which still support rail joints. Those will come out (and be replaced by concrete ties already positioned for installation) when the CWR is installed - some time after the First of October, 1964...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Can someone help me figure out what these cars might have been? The engine is a Gainesville Midland on it's home road, but it was owned by Seaboard at this point. I would really appreciate some help figuring out these carrs and some possible numbering ideas if anyone has some suggestions.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=281628&nseq=1