Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Fallen flags in the modern era

3451 views
22 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    January 2002
  • 60 posts
Fallen flags in the modern era
Posted by Glen1 on Monday, November 14, 2005 1:14 PM
I thought it might be fun to get some feedback on this.

Even though I model the modern era (mid 90s forward), I enjoy having a few old roadnames in my roster. Not too may, just a few to add a little variety. During the last operating session a few of us got talking about this with a member of our group who works in a rail yard. He has a lot of opportunity to catch some really old schemes and he was telling about some of them. He also had pictures of a few of them on his picture phone. It's amazing how old some of these schemes are and the relatively good condition some of these cars are in.

I got to wondering how many of the visitors to this forum have seen cars recently in fallen flag schemes. It would be fun to hear about them.

It would also be interetsting to hear whether or not you run any fallen flags with your modern cars.
Glen
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Robe Valley, Wa.
  • 719 posts
Posted by GN-Rick on Monday, November 14, 2005 1:24 PM
I continually see old GN and NP wood chip gondolas out here in Washington.
They are kept in captive service and they are starting to look quite tired.
Rick Bolger Great Northern Railway Cascade Division-Lines West
  • Member since
    June 2005
  • From: Phoenixville, PA
  • 3,495 posts
Posted by nbrodar on Monday, November 14, 2005 1:24 PM
I run fallen flags (mostly Reading, EL, and D&H) with my modern stuff. Over the last week I've seen the following fallen flags coming thru Philly...

Maine Central box ars in Harvest Gold
Boston and Maine boxcars in McGinnis Blue
Frisco coal hoppers (albit with HMLX markings)
Soo Line boxcars.
Southern Pacific boxcars
UP "Automated Railway" boxcars (I know not a fallen flag, but still)
Chessie Cat covered hoppers
Western Pacific boxcars with the Square Feather logo.

So there are still a fare amount of fallen flags out there.

Nick

Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: NYNH&H Norwich & Worcester MP21.7
  • 774 posts
Posted by David_Telesha on Monday, November 14, 2005 3:50 PM
Need I mention New Haven FL-9's and other CDOT/MN equipment painted in the NH McGinnis scheme?[:D]
David Telesha New Haven Railroad - www.NHRHTA.org
  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Elgin, IL
  • 3,677 posts
Posted by orsonroy on Monday, November 14, 2005 4:14 PM
There are still gigantic fleets of cars roaming around in Rock Island bankruptcy blue, not to mention all the C&NW cars out there. IC, ICG and a few of the OLD IC cars are still around, and all those roads are now FF's. Even the N&W is a FF, and there are still a lot of cars out there lettered for that road. And the Wisconsin Central is now a FF.

In July, I saw and photographed a GM&O covered grain hopper in Champaign, IL! A fellow foamer saw and photographed an ITC mill gon later in the day in Decatur. Both roads have been gone for more than 22 years.

Ray Breyer

Modeling the NKP's Peoria Division, circa 1943

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • 1,054 posts
Posted by grandeman on Monday, November 14, 2005 4:30 PM
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 14, 2005 4:43 PM
i run one chicago&northwesten loco(gp38-2)with my present day BNSF layout i also run
an illinois central loco(U33C) i also have an ill. cen. boxcar
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 14, 2005 4:55 PM
I took a picture of this B&O covered hopper this past Sunday. It was in the middle of a CSX consist full of old Chessie System cars and other pre CSX cars. I was mystified, being as this is Norfolk Southern turf.
  • Member since
    July 2005
  • From: Ottawa, Ontario
  • 364 posts
Posted by accord1959 on Monday, November 14, 2005 8:09 PM
Seen 2 Detroit & Macinack boxes last month in Ottawa Ontario, If can remember correctly they were restenciled WCCL. As little as 2 months ago I know I saw a model of one on ebay and I want one to put on my modern layout.
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Monday, November 14, 2005 10:49 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by GN-Rick
I continually see old GN and NP wood chip gondolas out here in Washington.
Ditto in Denver.

Covered Hoppers in Rio Grande (orange even), CNW, Mopac.
  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: Amish country Tenn.
  • 10,027 posts
Posted by loathar on Monday, November 14, 2005 11:39 PM
Tracks Ahead did a great show last week on fallen flags and the companies that bought them out, It gave me GREAT insite on locos to run in a consist that you wouldn't have thought of running together.[8D]
  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Middle o' Nowhere, MO
  • 1,108 posts
Posted by palallin on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 4:44 PM
I've seen two Frisco and one MoPac car locally in the last three years.
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: New Brighton, Minnesota
  • 1,493 posts
Posted by wctransfer on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 5:20 PM
WC cars Pulpwood,Boxes,gons, hopper, cement trinity hoppers.
SOO cars Gons,Hopper,Box, rock
CNW cars hoppers
TPW box
BN gons, hoppers

Etc etc.

Alec
Check out my pics! [url="http://wctransfer.rrpicturearchives.net/"] http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=8714
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: IL
  • 209 posts
Posted by XG01X on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 2:09 AM
I see Reading hoppers all the time on the NS hauling roofing granules and in response to Orson Roy's post I have seen a a Rock Island blue hopper with ICG marks!
  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Elgin, IL
  • 3,677 posts
Posted by orsonroy on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 7:48 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by wctransfer
TPW box


Ah, but the TP&W isn't a fallen flag!

Ray Breyer

Modeling the NKP's Peoria Division, circa 1943

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Ft Wayne IN
  • 332 posts
Posted by BRJN on Friday, November 18, 2005 9:36 PM
I see CR high-cube cars with PRR and NYC markings here. Most of them head out on the ex-Waba***rack along, well, the Wabash River.

A boxcar with IC markings (but no logo) went by earlier this week.
Modeling 1900 (more or less)
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 19, 2005 4:40 PM
I've seen EL hoppers in ballast service. Mainly out of Conway Yard outside Pittsburgh. Pretty cool to see any EL.
And there's an old MDT reefer parked there, too. Looks like it's used for storage.
  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Eastern Massachusetts
  • 1,681 posts
Posted by railroadyoshi on Saturday, November 19, 2005 5:30 PM
I have found that being time specific doesn't interest me, i'd rather model a specific location. I run anything with anything. I run a B&M 0-8-0 next to a Guilord (B&M's successor) Geep
Yoshi "Grammar? Whom Cares?" http://yfcorp.googlepages.com-Railfanning
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 19, 2005 5:58 PM
Chessie grain hoppers roll through Oxford almost every day. NYC gondolas loaded with scrap metal that looks in better condition than the cars. "Family Lines" boxcars. Some days I wonder if anything ever gets repainted or scraped. There is a lot of old rolling stock out there.
  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: S.E. Adirondacks, NY
  • 3,246 posts
Posted by modelmaker51 on Saturday, November 19, 2005 6:33 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by nbrodar

I run fallen flags (mostly Reading, EL, and D&H) with my modern stuff. Over the last week I've seen the following fallen flags coming thru Philly...

Maine Central box ars in Harvest Gold
Boston and Maine boxcars in McGinnis Blue
Frisco coal hoppers (albit with HMLX markings)
Soo Line boxcars.
Southern Pacific boxcars
UP "Automated Railway" boxcars (I know not a fallen flag, but still)
Chessie Cat covered hoppers
Western Pacific boxcars with the Square Feather logo.

So there are still a fare amount of fallen flags out there.

Nick


Technically, the D&H is not a fallen flag. The name is still in the corporate papers as much as the present owners (CP) would like to see it dissapear. It was part of the deal of the sale. It allows NYS to still boast that the D&H is the longest continually operating transportation company in the US.

There are still a few engines in D&H lightning stripe running the rails; 7303, 7304 and 7312. There are also plenty of freight cars running around with the D&H logo on them.

Jay 

C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1 

Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums 

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Mile 7.5 Laggan Sub., Great White North
  • 4,201 posts
Posted by trainboyH16-44 on Saturday, November 19, 2005 6:45 PM
We get lots of SOO out here, and up on the CN line there are a lot of BC Rail boxes roaming. TH&B gondolas are suprisingly numerous, as well as MILW. There are a lot of things that come through here as well.
Matthew

Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296

Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 19, 2005 8:14 PM
Conrail items with NYC reporting marks and whatever NS uses(I think they keep the CR marks for rolling stock)are too common to truly be considered fallen flags.

I see many ex-Frisco coal hoppers, with Helm Leasing patches. (HLMX, HPJX, etc.) I occasionally see an old Chessie coal hopper. I see quite a few Family Lines covered hoppers, like-wise Seaboard System and Chessie. There was a Clinchfield box car sitting in my local yard until recently. You can never rule out the occasional BN or Santa Fe freight car, either.

Earlier this year, CSX was running what seemed like a bi-daily coal train. The hoppers on the train were always the same: SP, UP, DRGW, MP, BN, and ATSF. ALL Western giants, some gone. They were all unpatched. I still haven't figured it out...
  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: S.E. Adirondacks, NY
  • 3,246 posts
Posted by modelmaker51 on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 9:28 PM

Jay 

C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1 

Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums 

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!