Unknown Train Page

Track Monsters !

These machines replace ties on active track. A gang uses them to yank out the ties and put in new ones.

Unfortunately, I don't know any of the names and am not sure of what tasks they do. So visit the Track Monsters page and tell me what it all is. Your coherent responses will be posted here.

Situation update:Many of the monsters have been identified, but more contributions and stories are welcome.

Other images.

Coal Grazing

Why does the coal at the end of the CSX line in Newport News, Va., end up in mountains to be grazed by behemoths, while the NS coal that ends up in Norfolk is stored in a gigantic yard of coal cars?

Answer from iamslick -(at symbol)- rt66.com: CSX dumps coal so that they can acheive a faster "turnaround" on their coal hopper cars. NS has purchased property west of Norfolk for a similar type of operation as CSX has at Newport News. NS currently gets a 14 day turnaround on its hopper cars.

See more information about the coal grazing yard.

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Fireless Locomotive

OK, I know what this train was. For yard use, she carried a tank of steam but no boiler. She could run all day on one charge, which was administered through a valve located over the wheels.

QUESTIONS: Are the planned roofs at the Va. Transportation Museum going to protect her? How much would it cost to fix her up? Really, why so much?

RESPONSES: I've had one response, concerning the maintenance of this interesting vehicle. Check it out.

Greenie

OK, I forgot what this is. She's at the Va. Transportation Museum in Roanoke. Their web page used to have a picture of her, but no longer. What's going on with their web page, anyway? It' very informative, but I gather there's some controversy.

QUESTION: What is she?

RESPONSES: Greenie is a Porter 50 Ton Virginia Central loco. The Virginia Central derived from the RF&P. See T.F.'s response.

NEW QUESTIONS: What's the controversy? Is this the only picture of Greenie anywhere on the Web?

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Train and Bus

OK, again at the Va. Transportation Museum: Here's a classic steamer, apparently well restored, but still uncovered. I read there was a flood in this yard recently. Special repair funds were raised from the commmunity. The bus. It's some bus, but the museum also has the Postal Bus (archived page), which is fantastic. The Postal Bus travelled the highways while clerks inside sorted mail, like a railroad mail car. The idea was soon abandoned due to suburbasprawl. The Postal Bus is not fixed up yet .

QUESTIONS: What's the story with this rusty bus? Does a classic steam locomotive need to be covered? Will the Postal Bus ever cruise again, say as a special event?

RESPONSES: Andrew Shoemaker pointed me to the picture of the postal bus at the Va. Museum of Transportation Web site.

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Rusty Diesel - Wabash 1009

OK, is the Virginia Transportation Museum a junk drop-off for the adjacent Norfolk Southern yard? Sure they need a big diesel, but how did they get stuck with this bucket?

QUESTIONS: Can the museum put up a better fence across the rails coming in? I am being too harsh?

RESPONSES: Rusty Diesel was EMD's 10,000th diesel, and is a rarity! She's an E-8A named the Wabash 1009. See the actual responses.

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Northwestern Livery

OK, I see these locos all the time on a road that runs south from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, along the west bank of the Mississippi River. It's UP track, formerly Texas and Pacific.

QUESTIONS: Likeable colors, but why? Is paint so expensive? Is Louisana so cool?

RESPONSES: People have writen in and said, basically, big deal. UP bought CNW and you see these CNW's all over the place. Check out the responses.

Other images, and why the coaling tower is in love.

Coaling Tower in Love

The coaling tower has been bought for conversion into apartments. I kid you not. A steam group had expressed some interest in reviving the tower for actual use. Apparently it's happened before. According to Mike Pappalardo, "In downtown Akron, Ohio, the old Quaker Oats concrete grain silos were turned into a hotel by one of the big hotel chains." More stuff about the coaling tower.

A great list of surviving coaling towers across the U.S. was once assembled on the rail newsgroup. I may have a copy if you need it.

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The 611 and its Pillars

OK, here is the beauty.

Perhaps you'd like to visit the great Last Run of the 611 site.

QUESTIONS: What happened to this picture: columns removed.

RESPONSES: Apparently 611 speaks in silence.

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