Freight car loads pt6, rail ties

Even if you don't hand lay your track, you can still find a use for those ties offered by various manufacturers...

A train with "track supplies" on the head end. Ahead of the gondolas loaded with ties are flatcars loaded with track panels -a prototype for sectional track on our layouts!

A close-up of another load of new ties. Note the blue-grey color; they are not black or brown when delivered!

Here are two gons with replaced ties. Note the ones in the first gon are banded together, while the ones in the other gon are simply piled up inside. Also note the rusty appearance of the ties.

Finally, if you don't want to try and match the colors of the newly treated or old, used ties, then you can always load up a gon with freshly cut, untreated ties! These are local products; these gons were delivered empty the day before. Meaning if you have a sawmill on your layout, then here is another product they can ship by rail!

Car load photos pt5, tank loads!

Here are some photos for all you military guys out there...

Tanks on DOD flatcars! Now you see why these cars have six-wheeled trucks.

A detail shot of the tie-down chains securing the tank to the car. Note also the cable wrapped around the tank's barrel to secure it as well -and what appears to be cardboard covering openings on the front of the tanks! As far as I know, the only model of these DODX cars was a brass import from several years ago, and I'm not sure how easy they are to find now (or who imported them). The M1A1's are available in HO scale from Herpa.

This car appears to be a converted 89' intermodal flatcar. Or it may have been built in this configuration for the DOD. Either way, it can only hold one tank, despite its length, due to its conventional four-wheeled trucks.

Another detail shot of the tie-down chains. Visible under the tank, and at the top of the photo, are intermodal-style container pedestal tracks and stowage; these can also be seen on the end of the other DODX car as well. Apparently these cars also haul military containers as well.

The other side. Notice that these cars are painted red instead of green like the six-wheeled cars. And notice also, that these cars don't seem to get the graffiti that the boxcars in the background have!

More tanks. They were being delivered to the Pennsylvania National Guard, fourteen in all.

Car load photos pt4

More car loads...

A Department of Defense heavy duty flatcar loaded with a M1 Abrams tank and what looks like a tank recovery vehicle. With a load like this, it's a good thing the flatcar has six-wheeled trucks!

Near the tail end of the same train, was this gondola with a steel coil load. If you look closely, you'll see that the car looks to have brackets mounted inside to keep the coils in place. Note also, that the coils are loaded over the trucks at the ends for weight distribution.

Here's what to do with all those "frets" left over from those etched metal kits; cut them up and load up a former coal gon from the seventies with them!

A (partial) shot of the other car. I wonder if someone would be interested in making junk loads for the taller coal gondolas?

Another scrap load I would like to see is shredded scrap, like these car loads. And behind these six cars, are three more loaded with old, broken ties.

Car load photos pt3

More loaded freight cars...

Two centerbeam flatcars, loaded with lumber; with plastic sheeting covering the entire load on the first car, and almost the entire car on the second!

Next, two Kasgro Rail flatcars specially equipped to carry cable reels. While these two can only carry three each, I saw at least one that can carry four reels.

Finally, two shots of an often-seen, but seemingly never-modeled piece of equipment; a car designed to carry -and place- pre-fabricated switch assemblies! The long flatcar behind it looks to be a converted piggy-back car, now in use for carrying long steel loads, such as pipes or rebar. And notice that following the flatcar is a spine car!

Car load photos pt2

More freight car loads...

Three flatcars loaded with sections of a brand new track alignment machine and ballast tamper, on it's way to CN. Now you can really have fun with those Custom Finishing track machine kits!

Car load photos, part 1

For all you modelers out there, here are some photos of loaded freight cars from here in Central Virginia.

A scrap metal load with what looks like part of a building roof! This gon actually stayed in Montview Yard for several weeks before it was finally taken to its destination!

For those of you who wondered about the tie loads from Moon Dog Railcars for the Exact Rail Centerbeam flatcars, here they are!

Here are more examples; these are the longer switch ties, and they have yet to be creosote-treated.

Two more photos of interesting loads; granite blocks! Now you have an excuse to put small pieces of gravel in your gondolas!

Also, note the ex-Sealand Twin-Stack in the background. Now re-lettered for CSX, this is the prototype for the A-Line car; note how faded the car has gotten!