Best Of Railwire Travelling Baggage Car - Photo Thread

[chicken45]

This is actually "The Birth of Ed K."

[wm3798]

Nah.  Woulda been a CR SD40-2

[randgust]

The PRR agent over at West Hickory contacted the Hickory Valley that some kind of special load was coming through on the afternoon train, they didn't know exactly what or why, but hey, they just follow orders.   Nobody could remember anything about any special move.

So on July 16, the PRR local from Oil City to Warren comes back downriver towing a baggage car.    Baggage car?   The Hickory Valley is a logging railroad, well, sorta, yeah, we do have an entry in the Official Guide, but that's for the accountants, not passengers.  We're just as wide as any only two miles long.   Hasn't been a real passenger car on the railroad since...well, maybe never.

The L-1 bangs across the HVRR diamonds at the end of the West Hickory Bridge.  Damn, yep, that's a baggage car all right.



It's been a couple years since anybody's seen anything like this in West Hickory.  The only passenger cars left running on this PRR branch is a doodlebug, and it's almost always empty.  Word is it will be cut pretty soon since the paved road went in.



The PRR agent Hillard isn't much help either.   "Hey, it's not your car anyway, it's just an interchange over to the S&T.  Not your problem.  You just get it there".

The local does a quick push into the house track behind the depot and drops the car, and heads on south to Oil City.



Later on that afternoon, the doodlebug from Olean to Oil City makes the stop at West Hickory.   As usual, nobody on board.   But there is a letter in the RPO to the agents on duty - "attention, all agents  - expedite routing of PRR special movement wherever possible."   But where's the waybill here?  There's nothing!     Wonder what's in it?   It's locked and sealed.... You can see there's some pretty strange stuff in there under tarps.   



Well, until the Hickory Valley run from Endeavor shows up later this afternoon, she's gonna sit today.   Only thing Hillard was told by the crew is that "it's going to Sheffield, via Nebraska.  Got it?"   

Seriously?   Sheffield, PA via Nebraska, PA? (S&T)  HVRR hasn't done an interchange move to the S&T since 1910.  That connection over the hill was taken off the map as an interchange as soon as the S&T built north to connect to PRR, bypassing HVRR's 'exorbitant' charges.   That means getting that big baggage car over to Endeavor, push up the Turkey Run Hill and the logging switchbacks, and down the other side to Nebraska to interchange to the S&T.  Then they haul it up to Sheffield?  http://www.randgust.com/wdmap3.jpg 
Why didn't PRR just drop the car directly there instead of routing it down here?   We've never even seen a car that long over there.  Well, OK.   But telegraph everybody at PRR we're still looking for a waybill, as there's nothing here.....

But if you think they've seen a big bill for interchange before, if we have to push it up over the hill on what's left of that track down to Ross Run it's gonna cost somebody big-time....

Anybody got any weight and clearance information on that thing?  That's a lot longer than anything we've had before, and the West Hickory bridge is only rated for 50 tons.   Where's that waybill??    Telegraph Klinestiver over to Nebraska and see if he knows anything, and tell him that he can send a spare engine over too, as if that thing weighs what I think it does we'll need power on both ends to get it up the switchback.

[randgust]

Well, the Official Railway Equipment register answered the first question.... the car alone may weight 43 tons, that plus whatever is in there... wow, it's going to be close here.   But with 43' truck centers it just might make it around the curves, we've done 50' flats before to the mill, just nothing 63' feet long for sure. 
 http://prr.railfan.net/diagrams/PRRdiagrams.html?diag=b60b.gif&sel=bagg&sz=sm&fr=

But nothing heavier than 50 tons has ever been across the river bridge, and above the mill?   
Well, the last time they tried that #3 fell through the bottom of the pony truss and ended up in the log pond.   http://www.randgust.com/WD3_bridge_left1.jpg

Better call over to Endeavor... better put a spacer car in there or two on the mill run tomorrow to ease the bridge load, can't do this today.  And bring some axle grease, too, as it may get hung up on the 15-degree curve by the PRR crossing, let alone the curve coming up to Endeavor.   Oh, and contact the ICC and put in an abandonment notice on McDonalds down to Ross Run so this NEVER happens again, got it?

[randgust]

The next day HVRR arrives for pickup with the regular run from Endeavor, but there is now a plan.   They'll 'borrow' all the empties from the tannery track as spacer cars across the river bridge, so the locomotive and baggage car aren't ever on the same span.   Once they get onto the logging railroad connection over to the S&T, well, that's another thing entirely.

So Lima-built 2-6-0 #5 backs into West Hickory over the PRR crossing with one outbound load of bridge timbers to PRR, as the Endeavor mill is very much equipped for cutting oversized logs and timbers, they are still cutting white pine ship masts.   There's no turntable or wye here. 



Dropping the flatcar, they spot the weatherbeaten caboose on the end of the baggage car.   There was some debate about whether or not they wanted to be back there if that car was too heavy for the bridge, but they need to be right there to watch in case it derails, breaks free, or otherwise runs into trouble on the rather light rails and sharp curves on the HVRR.



Running around the consist off the PRR passing siding, the crew grabs all the empty boxcars they can to assemble a spacer car consist longer than the longest span over the Allegheny River - 120 feet, four spans, built in 1897.



There's no confidence at all about even getting out of West Hickory without derailing on the sharp 15+ degree curve to the PRR diamonds - nothing this long or heavy has ever been through here before.   The tail-end brakeman and conductor carefully watch the car as it screeches and leans over the sharp curve to the diamonds and on the approach to the joint highway and railroad bridge.... so far, so good, ties are holding!  Thank goodness there are no steps in the way!   Hitting the inside rails with gear grease helped.



Just before HVRR conductor Hunter swings up the caboose steps, you can hear one more shout over to the PRR agent Hillard at the depot - "Still no waybill for this thing?"  "You contact us the moment it shows up, hear?  We ain't never supposed to take a car from Pennsy without a waybill."  You can hear the offhand comment to his brakeman, too, "Somethin' here just don't seem right, but it's not my call"...

At least West Hickory to Endeavor still handles interchange cars, but the Ross Run connection over to the S&T hasn't seen anything but log trains since the S&T built north in 1904, and that entire area is completely cut over now.  Track is still in, sorta, but it's still a 4 1/2% grade with two switchbacks.   Call has gone out to Nebraska for the S&T to lend a hand here with some power, you've got some special car coming, and it's coming over the hill!   

[randgust]

Crossing over the Allegheny River bridge at West Hickory, the strategy of spacing out the heavy baggage car with spacer boxcars works - the locomotive and baggage are on two separate spans of the pin-connected truss.   But, this is the 'good part' of the Hickory Valley, and delivering the car over the hill to the S&T at Nebraska is another matter entirely.

[DeltaBravo]

Crossing over the Allegheny River bridge at West Hickory, the strategy of spacing out the heavy baggage car with spacer boxcars works - the locomotive and baggage are on two separate spans of the pin-connected truss.   But, this is the 'good part' of the Hickory Valley, and delivering the car over the hill to the S&T at Nebraska is another matter entirely.

Nice scene

[randgust]

HVRR #5 screeches around the sharp curve entering into Endeavor, where the major Wheeler & Dusenbury sawmill dominates the Town.  Passing the office, shops and company store, the little 2-6-0 will bring our special move and then figure out how to get it across the spindly log pond trestle and bridge - the same one that claimed 0-6-0 #3 and collapsed it into the log pond just a couple years ago.





   This is the location of the big Wheeler & Dusenbury mill and shops, and for all intents, the end of the Hickory Valley railroad, although on paper it extends all the way over the hill to Ross Run.



#5 runs around the train on the reverse loop to get on the other end of the baggage car - which is way too tight for it.   She'll push the car over to the far side of the pond with the spacer boxcars, just in case....

[randgust]

Now the real fun starts.   East of Endeavor, the logging line (although still technically a common carrier) has never seen anything like this before.  Between the hairpin curves and grades, getting this thing up Hickory Creek, and over the switchbacks to the S&T at Ross Run and into Nebraska, there are way too many things to go wrong.   So the plan is to push it across the creek trestle with a spacer log car on the other end, and 'catch' it with the logging power and some help with the S&T.  #5 pushes it past the mill and by the log pond...OK, .here we go....

[randgust]

OK, easy does it as we push across the Hickory Creek pond trestle and bridge.   If anything is going to go boom (splash), this is it.    Just to be safe, two locomotives wait on the far side of the bridge to pull and push our car the rest of the way.



It's creaking and groaning, but it's holding.    Little W&D Shay #2 waits on the far side to pull, and the S&T sent over.... well....



Shay 2 will pull to the first switchback and push behind the car after that.   S&T's power will take the other end.   Wow, when they say clear-cut logging, they mean it.  There's not so much as a blade of grass left!   



Of all the worthless power they could have come up with, they sent over #4, the ex-C&NW 4-4-0 that is the 'standby' locomotive at Nebraska.  "well, you didn't tell us it was this big!  Just said it was a single passenger car!"   Never mind that S&T's idea of a passenger car dates back to 1855 and can be pulled by a mule..



Off we go...

[randgust]

Shay 2, a spacer log car, the PRR Baggage, and the ancient S&T 4-4-0 make an odd train pushing up the creek, but with power on both ends they should be able to easily deal with the switchbacks.   At least that's the plan.



Everything worked great until the moment it didn't....   the trailing truck of #4 and the lead truck of the baggage promptly jump off the frog of the McDonald switchback turnout when pushed uphill.    Well, so much for that plan.   If we had some more power on the front we could probably pull #4 onto a rerail frog - you sure can't push it back on.



So the call goes out, and the only thing available is the Watson Lands Lumber Climax #5.   That's OK, anything is better for this than a 4-4-0!



Finally, the entire mess heads up the 4.5% grade to the summit and down Ross Run to the S&T junction, then to Nebraska.   If that's the last the HVRR ever sees of this thing, it will be too soon!



Whew.....

[randgust]

Later that same day.....

The northbound PRR local barely pauses at West Hickory when an angry man in a blue suit jumps down and confronts PRR agent Hillard.   "WHERE THE H%$@ IS MY CAR!!"   The man in the blue suit, who only identifies himself as Jim, is shaking a crumpled and stained waybill.   "THIS.   THIS CAR.   THEY SAY IT CAME THROUGH HERE.   WHERE IS IT???".

Hillard uncrumples what was a waybill, having been told to watch for it.   Hmmmm.   Uh-oh.

PRR BAGGAGE 9368 - DESTINATION WEST - DENVER - ROUTE VIA PRR BEST ROUTE SHEFFIELD (KS) VIA MP NEBRASKA.

Oh dear.   That's Sheffield yard on Missouri Pacific at Kansas City, not Sheffield, PA.  And that's the state of Nebraska, not the town of Nebraska.   "It passed through here, everything is fine, still routed to PRR west" he mumbles.   "No problems, no incidents, you're welcome to telegraph....uh....phone...uh..... Have a seat".



Looking further on the crumpled waybill .....

QTY 1 LOT     FLUX CAPACITORS    HANDLE WITH EXTREME CARE

"Uh, just what's a Flux Capacitor, by the way?"


"Shhhhh!    It's for a..... time machine.   Only its highly unstable.   It's complicated, but this entire car disappears and reappears, sometimes in different times, sometimes in different places..... Oh, I've said too much already".  "But we've got to find it!".   

"Oh, did you happen to hear or see a sheep?"

[chicken45]

THUNK!

Everything went dark. Jim woke up and felt a surge of pain from where his head hit the toilet seat after the car came to an abrupt stop. He shook it off and peeked out the porthole. "Great. I hate snow. Where the hell am I?"




Jim slid open the door and was hit in the face with a gust of hot air. "How could it be so warm with all this snow?" he though.




"Hmm. This isn't snow. It's out of scale table salt!"




"Seriously? This stuff is the size of grapefruits. This is the Railwire. We're supposed to be better than that."




"Well, I better find something to help pass the time. Looks like I'll be here a while."




"Here sheepy speepy!"

[peteski]

Are you sure that is salt? Looks like sugar to me. To be TRW compliant you should have used Diamond Crystal Salt. 

[Dave V]

Let's see...  What couldn't you do with a mountain of overscale salt and a live sheep?