What is your favorite piece of rolling stock and what type of railcars do you see in your area?

[brianel027]

I get to see all sorts of stuff being that locally there's a mainline for the Norfolk Southern running though town with a yard also. It is obvious that with real trains, the cars are getting larger and longer because that's how the real railroads make money. In the early years, Conrail did away with many of the short 2-bay hoppers and shorter 40 foot box cars. Locomotives too are also getting larger and longer.

Being a "traditionally" sized operator, this creates problems. But I've learned that it is possible to make representations of the real thing without following precise scale dimensions. For example, the S-2 switchers were gone a very long time ago, except for shortlines here and there who still may have one. But the retired K-Line S-2 is a perfect size and length for a small layout. So I repaint mine and add many more so-called modern details. I have S-2's in CSX, Conrail and Norfolk Southern. I even have one in the current modern all blue/yellow trim/white roof CSX scheme. I've made my own modern looking diesels by chopping down shells of larger more modern locos to fit on to the chassis of a K-Line MP-15 with excellent results. And in my thinking, the K-Line S-2 looks everybit as toy-like going around 027 curves as does a more scale like model going around 031 curves.

I've learned to make my own "impression" of spine car for intermodal transport, as well as my own built coil cars and my own kitbashed coal porter gon hoppers. I know the hobby has gone "scale tally ho" lately leaving us guys with smaller layouts out of the loop. I just refuse to be forced to having to only model the by-gone poastwar era as far as roadnames and car types.

As far as prototype goes, one one hand I've thrown that word prototype out the window. But I also remember the Lehigh Valley RR very well. They made a habit out of recycling long before that word became so common. The real railroads are in the business of making money: which means cutting costs and making due with what is available. The real railroads have often adapted old cars and rebuilt them to give them new life and new uses. In that sense of thinking, I'm as prototypical as they get... I've learned to save money and make use of what I have available to make new cars and give old ones new life.

I'm sure the scale modelers would cringe at some of what I do. I don't count rivets. But I do count beans (so to speak). I'm sure the accounting department of any real railroad would be proud of me seeing how I adapt and make use of what I have. I'm sure from that angle of thinking, I might get an award for prototypical operation.

[laz 57]

BEER REEFERS, BURP!!!!!!!!!
laz57

[willpick]

I don't have a favorite- I love 'em all[:D][:)]!! On my two local roads[FEC & CSX] I get to see every type of car- except refridgerators-

[tgovebaker]

Here in the Bay Area, we have an enormous intermodal hub in the Port of Oakland, and get lots of BNSF and UP consists pulling nothing but container stacks. At the same time, as a major freight interchange, we also have tons of auto carriers (with screens, not the old open kind), boxcars, and centerflow hoppers. The vast majority of the cars represent only a handful of roadnames: UP, BNSF/BN, Golden West, BC Rail, and even some older Southern Pacific.

On Monday, I was over in Oakland at the Home Depot and decided to check out some of the rail scenery on the way home. I came across a 4-loco lash-up consisting of what appeared to be 3 UP Dash-8s and, oddly, a Norfolk Southern Dash-8. Made me think I had stumbled into Chief Eagles' living room. Anyone ever seen this kind of lash up before?

[FJ and G]

next logical question is; what is the ugliest?

The garbage train (2 short grey dumpsters per flatcar that go thru here on CSX)

[FJ and G]

macaste,

Besides tank cars and cattle cars, my favorites were the 12-16 car auto transports; the open-frame type built in 60s and 70s.

Somewhat surprisingly, none are offered in 3-rail, despite their widespread use.

This is the most perplexing thing!

[Jumijo]

Up here in MA its mostly box cars. Almost never see a hopper. Flat cars are even more rare than hoppers. A tanker? Once in a while. I see more passenger trains here than freight by a large percentage. The closest RR tack to me is approx. 5 miles away, but on a clear day I can hear the horns quite clearly when the trains go through a crossing.

In New Hampshire, there are a lot of scenic railroads throughout the White Mountain region. Almost one in every other town for Pete's sake. Lots of old steam and diesels to take in. Gotta love it.

[Anonymous]

Boxcars. When I was growing up there were lots and lots of them that came to the warehouse, and we used to play a kind of "faraway" game. There was a yard boss somewhere in East Texas who used a chalk sombrero made out of a figure eight topped with a simi-circle (two lines) to indicate that he had cleared the car and it was properly loaded and sealed. Saw lots of those sombreros when I was young, I guess we were between him and civilization. I suppose that piece of rail trivia is lost to history. I was very young, and had no idea where he was, I just know what my daddy told me.

[Anonymous]

I have lots of different rolling stock. My favorites in order are (modern) (1) tank cars, (2)intermodal cars with containers, (3)covered centerflow hoppers(4)coil cars(5) coal porter hoppers(6) auto carriers and (7) gondolas . My least favorite are boxcars, cabooses and (non modern) old tank cars.

I have been fascinated by tank cars ever since I was young.
The reason I like tank cars is that here on the gulf coast there are many to see. The same goes for the covered centerflow hoppers and coil cars. I also see a lot of intermodal traffic running here. Box cars are few here and the ones I have seen have all been old and beat up. As for cabooses it has been many years 20 maybe since I have seen one running on the tracks.

These are my reasons for why I like the rolling stock I do. Just wanted to know what everyone else likes. What types of (real world)railcars do you see in your area?