Here is a cool link. http://www.app.com/article/20110915...ers?fb_ref=artrectop&fb_source=home_multiline
More than once I've thought of moving into railroad cars. And I've been looking through listings at websites that deal in such things and think it's even a realistic possibility. Maybe significantly affordable, too! If I could do it, I'd find a nice piece of land next to a mainline or at least a working spur, hopefully with it's own siding already in place (maybe a former industrial siding where the business has long gone belly up?). Then, if there wasn't anything else on the property, I'd build a metal building to serve as a garage/storage place, and a raised platform for easy access to the passenger cars (and maybe a boxcar for additional storage). The on-site building would give me a feeder for utilities (water, sewer, electric, Internet), and a fence would be added to keep it secured and safe from vandals. Optionally I could have a nice little caboose for my office (since I work at home anyway). And if we needed to move, just get a flat car for the cars, then have it tacked on a train. ...And now, back to your regularly scheduled reality...
Northwestern Steel & Wire Co. in Sterling Ill brought so many new workers to Sterling in the late 40's early 50's that they build a small town of 100 or so freight cars painted silver to house new hires. They called it silver city. The picture in my signature is of one of the 060 Baldwins that operated until 1983.
Very interesting, Russell. I see the car was lettered "High Iron Company." Wasn't that Ross Rowland's early excursion adventure, I think featuring one of the NKP Berkshires, maybe 759? I guess Ross may have been the person referred to as needing quick cash. He was an investment advisor or some sort of Wall Street type at the time. :tb-confused:
It seems unusal to me the military would go along with, then adopt such an idea. Certainly the right people were in command there.
PW&NJ, You could model this on your own railroad. That could be an interesting scene and a conversation piece. Kind of like putting yourself into your model... r_i_straw, Thanks for posting the link. Michael