And for what it's worth: Crane in back, getting ready to remove generator, and move it to the new engine sitting just barely in frame to the left.
Today's lesson for junior passenger car maintenance flunkies like me: Replacing "Pedestal Liners". Evidently the wear surfaces between the bearing journal boxes and the truck frames have a replaceable lining of a thin sheet of hardened steel. When they crack or are swelled up due to rust so that the journal boxes do not move up and down, they have to be replaced. With a lot of grinding and cutting with an acetylene torch, I was able to remove four of them today. Next is to insert new ones and weld them into place.
On the second picture, there is a large bolt. (Middle right) I understand that it attaches to a rod assembly on the side of the truck, but what does that part do? Here is a picture of a Walthers HO truck with it.
That keeps the truck centered on the bolster or the attachment to the center sill. This photo shows me re-installing one on another car (with a little help). We had to replace the rubber compression spacers.
It helps smooth the ride for passengers. Reduces the impact of "hunting", especially as they travel around a curve.
New Jersey's Black River & Western Railroad started the 2017 steam season on Sunday with their lovely coal burning 2-8-0 No. 60 on an Easter special. She was built by ALCO in August of 1937 for Colorado's Great Western, a sugar hauler. She's served on the BR&W's roster for over 45 Years! I wasn't able to be there for the occasion. My friend sent me this photo and gave me permission to post it.
Rode the train two stops further just to catch this. As far as I can tell it's in transit to somewhere, but I have no idea where there is. (And I also got my darn finger in the way.)
There are two pictures on RRpicturearchives taken yesterday with the location of Castle Rock, CO. I'm not sure if that is exactly where you saw it as well, or if it is on the move. The picture of the train shows that same hopper behind it. It was behind a BNSF C4. They have some interesting rebuilt locomotives. Many look to have come from CN. Does anyone know what Savage does? I found a production company called Savage, but I doubt they would have a need for locomotives.
The track in foreground, which leads off to the right, where does that go? Another tunnel portal? Industry? Branch line?
Yes, it's a double track main. For some reason, the aerial view above makes it seem that one mainline track is maintained to a lesser degree, but it's not the case -- both are the same, with heavy rail and ballast. The spur is short and is for maintenance set-outs. I miss seeing the PL signals there. This is a poor scan of a shot I took there in September 1998 that also shows more of the track layout.
Just think, the train people sixty or seventy years from now will miss all the Darth Vader signals. Maybe it will be like the return of vinyls, and they will just come back...
Saw this unusual looking tank today. Ain't sure what commodity it is for, but thought it was neat. One good thing about the drop in coal traffic, lots more different cars are rolling through!
On rrpicturearchives, (my favorite) I found this car, as well as most of the class. Yours is empty, but there were other cars pictured that were filled. Here is a picture of a car with a close road number. All the pictures of your car were also empty. The DOT placard usually says what is in the car. This is not my picture, it belongs to the photographer. The number is 2078 (easier to see on end of car) https://phmsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/PHMSA/DownloadableFiles/Files/Hazmat/ERG2012.pdf This is a list of all the safety placard numbers and their cargo. 2078 is toluene diisocyanate (with two I's) It is used in the production of polyurethane foam.
