Why don't railroads add more variety to their train consists, for aesthetic appeal?
For example, If I'm watching a coal train - or Coltrane, where I come from - it gets boring to watch a string of identical coal hoppers one after another after another.
Why not spice it up a little with, say, a brightly painted box car with a brush-script slogan on the side, like "Everywhere West" or "The Route of Phoebe Snow?" Or perhaps a Diamond chemical car, or a flat car carrying a missile or satellite?
I think the railroads need to be a little more adventurous and imaginitive in their consists.
What do you think?
Happy Holidays!
I think, as the saying goes, "Them days is gone!" Although I'd love to see a long train of classic billboard boxcars the only place I'm ever going to see that now is on the O gauge layout.
I'm willing to settle for clean well-kept locomotives and let it go at that.
There's something fascinating about 100+ identical cars rolling past, too. A full train of auto racks is something to behold, as well. A moving wall.
As Flintlock said, the days of billboard boxcars are long gone.
Still, there can be substantial variations in manifest freights, and sometimes the "bonus art" can be entertaining.
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...
Thank you for volunteering to foot the bill the RRs will have making up trains to fit your esthetic notions. I am sure there are others that will be happy to enjoy what you are paying for.
Thanks, again. It'll sure be nice to see neatly tailored trains (with a little red caboose on the end!). And all because of your generosity.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Semper VaporoThank you for volunteering to foot the bill the RRs will have making up trains to fit your esthetic notions. I am sure there are others that will be happy to enjoy what you are paying for. Thanks, again. It'll sure be nice to see neatly tailored trains (with a little red caboose on the end!). And all because of your generosity.
One thing many railfans overlook in their fandom - railroads exist for the economic equation of making money from what shipper/consignees pay for having goods transported between them. They are not paid for 'artistic' appearance of the freight trains they operate.
Personally, when the railroads were operating their own passenger trains, I viewed trains that weren't consistent in their livery as being 'sub-standard' aesthetically, how dare they interrupt the beauty of the trains paint schemes with cars that actually paid the bills for the trains to operate, express cars, baggage cars RPO's and worst of all heavyweight cars. The thoughts of a child.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Semper Vaporo... It'll sure be nice to see neatly tailored trains (with a little red caboose on the end!)....
A kindred spirit! I started a separate thread on the potential of our rail-friendly president to reinstate the caboose!
http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/285618.aspx
Shock Control ... I think the railroads need to be a little more adventurous and imaginitive in their consists. What do you think? Happy Holidays!
...
It would be nice, along with everyone being multimillionaires, all homes with a large SUV for everyone in a garage large enough to house them, all homes with 100" OLED televisions, all people getting guaranteed income from a most beneficent government of, say, USD$100K. Wouldn't that be nice?
Merry Christmas!
Likely that most of those coal cars are owned by the utility company. Same for the boxes in wells on the long container trains. The railroads are owning fewer of the cars or boxes that makeup their trains.
Shock ControlOr perhaps a Diamond chemical car, or a flat car carrying a missile or satellite? I think the railroads need to be a little more adventurous and imaginitive in their consists. What do you think?
I think that's a great idea!
I would include a car that carries zoo animals with the giraffe sticking his head out of a hole in the roof of the car.
York1 John
York1I would include a car that carries zoo animals with the giraffe sticking his head out of a hole in the roof of the car.
Well, as an animal rights advocate, I would not support this. It would set a precedent, and pretty soon trains would start transporting cows and pigs.
Shock ControlWell, as an animal rights advocate, I would not support this. It would set a precedent, and pretty soon trains would start transporting cows and pigs.
I think that the 12-foot-tall night watchman who springs out of his shack when the train passes by will make sure no animals get hurt.
"kindred spirit"? I think not... I am on the side of cheap, and what you are proposing ain't cheap... But if YOU are going to foot the bill, Well that is a different story.
If you have that much money... Could you float a loan to me?
York1 Shock Control Well, as an animal rights advocate, I would not support this. It would set a precedent, and pretty soon trains would start transporting cows and pigs. I think that the 12-foot-tall night watchman who springs out of his shack when the train passes by will make sure no animals get hurt.
Shock Control Well, as an animal rights advocate, I would not support this. It would set a precedent, and pretty soon trains would start transporting cows and pigs.
But think of the damage to any animal that is right outside of that door when he springs out! We used to see how far it would knock a marble and came close to breaking the curved glass on the door of the china cabinet! (Sure brought the adults into the room when the marble hit the oak frame of the door! Put an end to those play hours right quick!)
BaltACD Semper Vaporo Thank you for volunteering to foot the bill the RRs will have making up trains to fit your esthetic notions. I am sure there are others that will be happy to enjoy what you are paying for. Thanks, again. It'll sure be nice to see neatly tailored trains (with a little red caboose on the end!). And all because of your generosity. One thing many railfans overlook in their fandom - railroads exist for the economic equation of making money from what shipper/consignees pay for having goods transported between them. They are not paid for 'artistic' appearance of the freight trains they operate. Personally, when the railroads were operating their own passenger trains, I viewed trains that weren't consistent in their livery as being 'sub-standard' aesthetically, how dare they interrupt the beauty of the trains paint schemes with cars that actually paid the bills for the trains to operate, express cars, baggage cars RPO's and worst of all heavyweight cars. The thoughts of a child.
Semper Vaporo Thank you for volunteering to foot the bill the RRs will have making up trains to fit your esthetic notions. I am sure there are others that will be happy to enjoy what you are paying for. Thanks, again. It'll sure be nice to see neatly tailored trains (with a little red caboose on the end!). And all because of your generosity.
Well if we a just talking about looks, I love heavyweight passenger cars. There is something durable, practical and classic about them that says "we are running a business here, a business that will take good care of you".
And inside they are solid, smooth and elegant.
But then again, I'm a practical sort, not attracted to flash and glamor.....
Sheldon
York1I think that the 12-foot-tall night watchman who springs out of his shack when the train passes by will make sure no animals get hurt.
Only if we can confirm that he is a vegetarian!
BaltACD...railroads exist for the economic equation of making money from what shipper/consignees pay for having goods transported between them. They are not paid for 'artistic' appearance of the freight trains they operate.
A fascinating theory! Is there evidence to support this?
Shock ControlWhat do you think?
Slow down the intake of chrismtas spirits.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
ATLANTIC CENTRALWell if we a just talking about looks, I love heavyweight passenger cars. There is something durable, practical and classic about them that says "we are running a business here, a business that will take good care of you".
I concur wholeheartedly! I've got a story...
When I was a little boy, five, maybe six years old my father had to make a run to a local hardware store and I went with him. Christmas was coming and as I'm sure a lot of you remember many hardware stores sold electric trains at that time of year. This store (which may have been Maywood Hardware in Maywood NJ, I'm not sure, it was a long time ago) was no exception.
There was a whole wall full of trains behind one of the counters! Impressed the hell out of me, but what impressed me the most were the dark green passenger cars, they looked just like the cars on the local commuter trains! As Sheldon says, durable, classic, and very businesslike.
So now I've got a wall full of my own!
Indulge your inner six-year-old from time to time, he'll thank you!
BaltACDPersonally, when the railroads were operating their own passenger trains, I viewed trains that weren't consistent in their livery as being 'sub-standard' aesthetically, how dare they interrupt the beauty of the trains paint schemes with cars that actually paid the bills for the trains to operate, express cars, baggage cars RPO's and worst of all heavyweight cars. The thoughts of a child.
I used to enjoy seeing a PRR tuscan red passenger train with a Mopac color foreign sleeper such as the New York (Penn) to San Antonio sleeper on the Penn Texan to St Louis, or the Red Frisco sleeper running in the B&O blue and gray National Limited.
I preferred solid Stagecoach yellow and green on the C&NW.
Oh boy and I thought the Biden caboose thread gave me a brain aneurysm .....
GBSD70ACe Oh boy and I thought the Biden caboose thread gave me a brain aneurysm .....
It's the season for fantasy.
I'd be happy if the railroads properly blocked and balanced cars in trains to prevent stringlining and reduce chances of derailment due to poor mixing of long/short, empty/loaded, etc. rolling stock. The best looking train to me is one that's NOT halted due to cars flopped on their sides, piled up like toys, or off the track (and taking 100s of meters of said track along with it).
A UP train derailed near Dixon, IL in Wednesday.
20 cars on a NS freight train derailed in Gary, IN Wednesday.
zugmann Shock Control What do you think? Slow down the intake of chrismtas spirits.
Shock Control What do you think?
Let the Man have his moment...
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
charlie hebdo A UP train derailed near Dixon, IL in Wednesday. 20 cars on a NS freight train derailed in Gary, IN Wednesday.
Murphy Siding charlie hebdo A UP train derailed near Dixon, IL in Wednesday. 20 cars on a NS freight train derailed in Gary, IN Wednesday. Any word of the consist variation on those two trains?
Any word of the consist variation on those two trains?
The UP train was a large manifest, with about 40 cars on the ground taking out both mains. It happened about 2am Thursday and it's expected the "service interruption" will be about 24 hours.
UPDATE: 39 train cars involved in Lee County train derailment, no injuries reported (wrex.com)
Jeff
Murphy Sidingzugmann Shock Control What do you think? The spirit of Christmas past, no doubt.
Shock Control
The spirit of Christmas past, no doubt.
Methinks the (true) "Spirit of Christmas" PASSED.
Now can't the Jolly Green Giant come over, and put the cars back on the track? Ho, Ho, Ho!!!
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