Fallen flags together

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GP30M4216
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Fallen flags together

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

As more equipment out there ages beyond interchange limits or is hit with the graffiti can, it feels harder and harder to find evidence of fallen flag roadnames the way it once was.

I was trackside back in April to catch one of the Adrian and Blissfield two original GP-9s in action on the JAIL on the south side of Lansing, knowing that new units in a new scheme were not too far off. They had a decent size train this particular day of traffic coming down from CSX. It was a partly cloudy day, which of course meant lots of clouds around at the moment the headend was approaching, but whatever, I'll take it. After the headend came by, my eye caught an approaching Conrail CoilSHIELD Thrall G52S series coil cars that were unique to CR. It had a bit of graffiti but might be worth a photo. But then I spied a real blast from the past - between the rust on the coil hood immediately behind it, "C&O" peeking through in faded Chessie blue on yellow! I pivoted my plan to trying to capture the can-opener and the "Kabel" Chesapeake and Ohio reporting mark on the following hood instead.

The CoilSHIELDs are still common enough, but what did the Chessie System hood originally look like? Googling around, I came upon this slide which seems to be the same style and lettering. Amazing that it was once bright federal yellow! https://www.flickr.com/photos/hunter1828/2903889141. Looking at HO models of Chessie coil cars, many of them missed this detail of the reporting mark on the hood end - an interesting detail for modelers!
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Sometimes, it's worth it to take the photo even if the lighting ain't right and the composition isn't perfect!

Manistique
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Re: Fallen flags together

Unread post by Manistique »

I agree. I sort of regret not taking many rolling stock photographs over the years. Oh, I would of something that was already really old, like a fallen flag car, that I saw on a train but never current freight cars. I was too focused on the locomotives, I guess. Of course, back in the film days each photograph cost money and film was expensive so you conserved it. I do enjoy looking at some of my train shots now and seeing a Pennsy or Wabash freight car near the locomotives because even those were gone by the time I was taking pictures and were still fairly common back then.

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GTW Dude
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Re: Fallen flags together

Unread post by GTW Dude »

I always keep my camera on and poised should any old rolling stock come my way unexpectedly. So far I've managed to capture some untagged CNW Hoppers roaming around but those aren't nearly as rare as some of the other stuff climbing about. The coil shields will probably outlast every piece of rolling stock with original lettering because they're niche enough for railroads to not care about them plus every piece of rolling stock has a 70 year expiration date before being retired or requiring an extensive rebuild unlike the hoods. Back in March of this year, someone managed to catch a fully painted DT&I hood around the Chicago area. For being gone 42 years after being sold to the GTW I'd say it's a veteran of the rails along with the C&O hood you caught.

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MQT1223
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Re: Fallen flags together

Unread post by MQT1223 »

L302 this week had a nice Frisco gondola towards the front. Not many of those floating around.
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996. :)

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