Hey, are you guys putting little 'fortune cookie' slips of paper inside the box for each of the layouts & operator signature? Or something along that line? This has been really fun to watch.

Carl Dillon, the night yardmaster in Middletown, tells Greg, the day shift yardmaster for Middletown, that there is a car that arrived in last nights overnight train with one of the on line towns name on it. Carl says to Greg: "You ought to go take a look at that car. It's something I haven't seen come through this railroad before." Greg tells Carl:"I'll just go down and take a look.

Greg goes down to track one and discovers the car Carl was talking about. A Saybrook Northern car.




It is still coupled to one of the New Haven's recently repainted boxcars.



This is Greg Long today's Middletown Yardmaster.




Greg see's that the car is headed north today on the NX21 local to Wethersfield. The car is put into the train after it has completed it's switching in Middletown.



The car is delivered to Wethersfield Lumber Co. in Wethersfield, CT



As you can almost tell by the clock on the wall it made it at 5:26pm.

Nice shots, Bill! :up:

Pete

in Michigan

Nice shots folks!

We caught Crispy’s boxcar as it was heading north to the Jersey Highlands.







Bruce the car left yesterday and should reach you in a few days.

Some of the cars are making the rounds with Operating Session Car Cards. They make things even more interesting!

Pete

in Michigan

From all the way back on page one:

John, . .I think you will enjoy seeing your Hudson Highlands reefer on one of the layouts involved in the NNGC's tour, and on the well-known La Mesa layout in San Diego. We had a lengthy tour of the latter yesterday, with lots of pictures. As a side-bar, your car was inspected and found to have three violations, but it was allowed to run the full course. I will post the pictures when we return to Portland.

Peter,

Would you mind if I kept your Saybrook Northern boxcar to use in two ops session for Rocky Ops October 5th and 6th? It's already at Wethersfield being unloaded.

If you want me to send it to Allen I will. I just thought it would be neat.

Bill

No hurry on this end, Bill. I'm havin' too much fun with the Highland's reefer! It still has to make a long trip up through California & Oregon.

Works for me. :up:

Pete

in Michigan

Pete and Allen,

Thanks

Indeed, I'll be very much looking forward to your images!

John (CNJ999)

Hey, guys, got some shots of local interest to share. I'm getting a little old for railfanning nowadays but this had me break out the old camera and give it another go.

Had a call from my old friend Ralph, who owns Gabler Industries down in town. During our conversation he says that he's taking delivery of two secondhand Ford trucks, plans to refurbish them a bit and use them for the business. "Nice", I says and then he says somethin' that lights my fires...they're being delivered from out of state by train! In a kinda round about way I let him know I'd be interested in seeing him take delivery and could he call me the day they are supposed to arrive. He says, "Sure."

Well, I got his call this morning. He says the trucks are comin' in on the 9AM outta Jacksboro, so I grab my camera after breakfast and head out into town to see if I can catch the local turn with the trucks on it. I take up a position on the Putney station's platform and long about 9:30AM I see a big red and black HHRR F-3 comin' round the bend in the Putney Cut. Sure enough, right behind the engine is a flat carrying two kinda worn lookin' Ford trucks. The big F-unit was movin' at a pretty good clip so I really only had time for one good exposure.



It's only about 200 yards from the station to Gablers but I ain't quite as spry as I used to be so it takes me a bit to get down there. As I approach, I can see the guys have built an temporary off-loading ramp at the end of Gabler's spur. The loco has dropped the rest of its train and it and flat are already part way down the spur when I get off my next shot.



Moving closer, I can see that one of the employees from Gabler's is at the top of the ramp, with another tracksde, helping to guide the flat car into its final position against the ramp.



After some time fiddlin' with some heavy steel ramp extension to bridge a small gap between the ramp and the flat car, the guys slowly begin the off-loading process. By then, Ralph Gabler (that's Ralph in the blue suit) and big old Hank Robins, the company's general manager, are hoverin' around the scene to insure everything is being done properly.



About this time, I see Chief Clark, head of the local constabulary, pull up in what I recognize as the town's orginal 1st police car...a 1936 Ford! I haven't seen that car in many years, yet it looks showroom new! The chief blocks off Depot Road so the second truck can be off-loaded without worry and I go over to the chief for an explanation of the car.



Well, Clark says he purchased the car at a town auction back in 1946 and stored it in his garage until recently. He relates that he and his grown son have spent the last two years completely restoring the car. And since his regular department car was in the shop today, he thought it would be a hoot to use his antique for the day. Guess when you're the boss you can get away with a lot!

Anyway, by the time I get done jawin' with Chief Clark, the second truck is on the pavement and Ralph is givin' Hank instructions on where he wants the trucks taken to for their refurbishing.



Well, that was pretty much the end of the show. I spent a few more minutes talkin' with Ralph and Chief Clark about the old days in Putney, how things used to be around here and how I used to railfan the HHRR. Yup, today sure brought back some memories for me.

John (CNJ999)

John, very nice, some of your best interchange images yet. They really show off the colors of the layout well. I have been so busy the last few weeks I can not believe that the month is almost over! Time to get the camera out and shoot my September shots before the car has to head on its way.

John, . .Great copy and pictures of beauty. I always enjoy your Fall colors. I hope we never get too old for rail-fanning.

Simon has it right on the money. Nice job, John!

Pete

in Michigan