MRL will have a fun time getting all that Aussie red dust out of those, they were covered with it, even in the rain!
If you look, you can still find little green treasures here and there, like on a signal shack in Auburn, Wa.....
Even a "fallen flag" fallen down, in Auburn Yard a few years back....... Got a couple of buckets of coal outta' this, that eventually got used in a live steamer up at Skykomish, in an old NP steamer ta' boot!!
Either appliances, or lot's of TP! My Dad worked at Associated Grocers in South Seattle for 30+ years, and they'd get TP in cars like this.
Auto parts. Ford plants preferred the 4-door variety, like this one, but Chrysler and GM preferred the 8-door versions. Auto parts, such as body stampings were light, and the car would cube out before going overweight. These big 86-footers were built for this purpose. Engines, transmissions, axles and the like were shipped in 50 and 60' boxcars, as those components were heavier. Frames went by flatcar in the past. An expedited D&RGW train, #79, also called the Ford FAST, was noted for flatcars with frames, 86' boxes, 60' boxes and other autoparts as well as assembled auto business from Detroit to Milpitas, CA. It was WELL powered, hotter than anything on the railroad, and ran until the Milpitas Ford plant shut down in ~84/85. A great photo of the #79: http://www.drgw.net/gallery/v/Photo...6_000_3000x2233.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1
Having grown up with relatives working on both the Milwaukee Road and the Northern Pacific, I never really lined the green and white of the Burlington Northern. I live just over the pass from the MRL shops in Livingston, which were the BN shops. Had a good friend, Marvin Varnes who was the shop supervisor over there who would let me know whenever something different or special would be there or passing through. My relatives who worked on the NP also weren't really thrilled with the green and white.
An interesting aspect of this topic is that I never cared for BN, and the loss of especially my old town NP. (Odd for being from a MILW family!) But this thread has me actually missing BN days....
Yeah, i didn't care much for the BN either, cause it basically put the nail in the coffin for the Milw, plus the GN, NP, SP&S were gone. But now, it's the railroad of my youth that was always nearby and basically up on Stevens Pass in the late 70's, early 80's so it's more of a nostalgia trip down memory lane. Milw will always be my favorite for always being the underdog in the shadow of the Big Green Giant, and my Dad being in love with the GN since he grew up trackside in Western Washington and saw "Omaha Orange and Pullman Green" everyday, but the "BN" was my railroad action of my youth.
I might have posted this link elsewhere, but I remember seeing this TV ad on Chicago television when I was a young teen and being a model railroader, thought it was so cool. I was a bit young to understand the '68 PC merger, but BN's I remember. I've always liked the Cascade Green scheme, being safe, serviceable and respecting the road's service area.
Yes, BN produced some others I'm pretty sure. The Santa Fe was a Chicago TV advertiser too and also produced some fine commercials.
