I saw the ZDLSK3-28 today. The interesting thing is that it had a couple of SP 230000 series, plug door, former Golden West Service boxcars in the middle.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
It hasn't been unusual to see a box car or two about the middle of the train lately. I was never sure where the box cars originated. For quite a while now both of the salad shooters (California and Washington originations) usually get combined into one train, then continue east under the Delano symbol. A few times recently I have seen both trains, or their westbound counterparts, run under their own symbols, so maybe business is picking up.
I've wondered what's in the box cars, but have never looked up the train's consist. My guess would be wine.
Jeff
jeffhergert It hasn't been unusual to see a box car or two about the middle of the train lately. I was never sure where the box cars originated. For quite a while now both of the salad shooters (California and Washington originations) usually get combined into one train, then continue east under the Delano symbol. A few times recently I have seen both trains, or their westbound counterparts, run under their own symbols, so maybe business is picking up. I've wondered what's in the box cars, but have never looked up the train's consist. My guess would be wine. Jeff
Well Jeff:
Looks like you have brought a new railrad term to the table!
"...For quite a while now both of the salad shooters (California and Washington originations) usually get combined into one train.."
Always thought that was something the wife kept in the cainet until she was making dinner! [swg]
You get enough railroaders thinking about something, and one of them's going to come up with a good name for something, or someone. The Salad Shooter is a prime example. The train also led to the nickname for the track to the Wallula loading facility: The Fruit Loop.
The nickname beats the heck out of Shooty Fruity, don'cha think?
When C&NW had its "Falcon" piggyback trains, they were almost immediately referred to as the "Chicken Trains" by crews, and later just "The Bird."
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
One needs to remember that on the original UP (at least in Nebraska) they call there hot trains, "shooters." (Local freights or those that do a lot of intermediate work are "pickers.") So in light of a kitchen gadget with the same name, a perishable Z train almost begs for the salad shooter name.
I've seen railfans on other sites refer to it as the salad bowl express. The name used many years ago and made popular by that National Geographic TV documentary.
Chris30 So in Nebraska it's a salad shooter but on the ex-CNW it's a salad bird? Or, maybe it sounds better to say bird salad...
Don't let MC or Ms Mook hear that....
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
No, it's called the salad shooter in Iowa, too. Can't say for Illinois, or other parts.
I've noticed recently that a lot of dispatchers when telling you why you're being held say it's for the bird. When it shows up, it's a plain old stack train. The true decendent of the bird are the two Z trains that carry TOFC. They now also have stacks, but still some trailers. There are a couple of lesser stackers that do carry Z symbol, but there not has hot. (Priority being relative, they still usually have a Long Pool crew. That's enough in itself to give it priority over trains crewed by the Short Pools.)
I was in Delano as the ZDLSK5-18 left the Railex facility on Friday. It had a CSXT uninsulated boxcar in the middle. There were also a couple of TOBX and one TBOX sitting at the facility.
The nickname for the old SP perishable trains running from the San Juaquin and Salinas valleys was the "Salad Bowl Express"
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