CSX S&C Branch Notes - Articulated Gondolas

[bbrant]

Went around the S&C this weekend and saw something interesting. In the siding at Rockwood there was a work train parked there. The one and only unit on it was a former Conrail C36-7, now numbered 7133 by CSX. The first interesting thing is that the unit had the "C36-7" spray painted over and had "C30-7" repainted next to it. The second interesting thing was this was a work train with articulated gondola cars. I never saw those before. Thought it was interesting.

Here's a link to the photos I took:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=4123

Also, looks like the siding is being worked on at Wilson Creek as visible in the photos with the 3 CSX GPs. I'm guessing the derailment at the other end of the siding prompted the rehab work. Not sure when it will be complete.

One final note. The train with the 3 GPs was, I'm guessing, a good 60-70 cars which is by far the longest train I recall seeing on the S&C in years. Mostly the train was made up of bulkhead flats to haul new narrow gauge hoppers from Freightcar America. The train itself stretched from Wilson Creek to Rockwood, a distiance of about a mile. Like seeing all the cars in the Somerset yard in early March, it's good to see a long train on the S&C.

Brian

[Modelcar]

....Enjoyed the update and activity report on the good ol' S&C....If that train comes back from Johnstown loaded with new narrow gage cars I would think it would need some help right before it reaches Kimmelton as that stretch contains a 3% and sharp curve so I'm told {over the past years}, but I never did see that area of it....but, that would be a real point of resistence for that much train coming south.

[MP57313]

A similar unit was on the UP (SP) Coast Line near Vandenberg AFB, when we rode through there on March 17. There are still ongoing track/ground repair along the coast. Like the pictures you linked, there is a "SlotMachine" name on one of the cars.
MP

[bbrant]

Haven't seen any helpers on the S&C, even going back to the Chessie days when I was a kid. Wouldn't be surprised if they were used at some point in the past, considering the coal loads that used to travel the line.

I had to take my daughter into Somerset Hospital today for some tests and was able to catch a train going through town. Brought back memories of when I was a kid and was "lucky" to have to wait at the crossing for a train. Remember being on the school bus in the mornings and waiting there while some switching moves were completed.

Trying to keep an eye out for the narrow gauge hoppers. Getting a picture of them has gone from a mission to an obsession! lol

Brian

[bbrant]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313

A similar unit was on the UP (SP) Coast Line near Vandenberg AFB, when we rode through there on March 17. There are still ongoing track/ground repair along the coast. Like the pictures you linked, there is a "SlotMachine" name on one of the cars.
MP

Thanks for the compliment on the pictures. As for the "SlotMachine" car. I kept putting nickles in a slot on it and then pulling a lever. Didn't get anything out of it but now CSX officials want to have "a word" with me. LOL [:D]

Brian

[Modelcar]

...In the many years I've been looking at trains...I've never seen gondolas supported with a truck between each unit like these.

[Modelcar]

...Speaking of "helpers"....Back when it was the good old B&O...Each and every coal drag that headed south from collecting cars out of the mines as it progressed, had a helper or sometimes TWO helpers....I'm talking about back in steam engine days...From our front porch {at home in Stoystown}, we could see where the route went up the long straight right to the 218 bridge and one could follow the train by seeing the steam from each set of engines and see how long each train was...In thinking back, I'm guessing but the typical train might have been 30 or 40 cars long....I remember they used to pull about 6 or 8 cars out of Reading Mines near Stoystown each day and add to the train on it's trip south towards Rockwood. That must have presented a problem after reassembling the train with each set just pulled from the mine....to start the train on those grades....But helpers, they sure had....on almost all the coal trains..!

[Anonymous]

Brian-

This machine is used for a variety of MOW tasks. It carries a long arm articulated backhoe. The cars have no end bulkheads and a common floorplate, hence the truck placement. Essentially it is one vey long open trough inside. This allows the backhoe to move and load or unload from anyplace along its length. Uses are drainage ditch clearing and removing of any type of trackside junk. In the other direction they are used to unload new riprap, ties or drainage pipes. Their interior length allows removal of old sections of rail and delivery of longer sections of pipe. The backhoe carries a number of boom attatchments for all of these materials.

There is also a self-propelled version that requires no locomotive (and of course no engineer).

Below (I hope) is a link to the company:

http://www.georgetownrail.com/home.htm

Mark

[bbrant]

Mark -

Thanks for the information. Never saw one of these and the information you provided was very useful.

Brian

[bbrant]

Quentin -

Considering some of the coal drags I've saw go through Somerset when I was a kid, I would have to think that helpers were still used into the Chessie years. In the B&O days, where were the helpers cut on/off?

Following those trains by watching the steam must made for some great viewing!

[Modelcar]

...I don't know the answer to where the helpers might have been cut off....I got to thinking about that and maybe, just maybe they were cut off at the Adams yard....just south of Friedens. Not sure on that. On seeing the steam from the train going up the valley...That was all we could see from my home as the trees hid the train and we'd see the steam rising above the tree line....and...we'd hear the train sometimes {depending on wind direction}, up the line as far as probably Kimelton...Several miles from our location. Again, on cutting off rear engines....I wonder about that because as you cross the tracks there at Geiger {heading north}, and looking to the right on the tracks one can see a crest of the grade out to the right of the crossing....so I'm wondering, they may have needed the helpers clear up to at least that point and maybe a bit beyond and that gets one almost into Somerset.....