The Franklin & South Manchester Traveling Hopper Car

Started by S&S RR, May 24, 2016, 06:23:51 PM

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S&S RR

This thread is a log of the life of Franklin & South Manchester Hopper Car number 838075.


Pictures, the story to-date and instructions for participation to follow.  Stay tuned.
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

S&S RR

At the recent EXPO I had a discussion with George Sellios and Thom Driggers about the forum thread chronicling the travels of a AS car started by Tom Langford a few years back.  I enjoyed watching Tom's AS travel the world generating revenue for the AS. I asked George if he would be interested and doing the same type of thread for a piece of rolling stock from the Franklin & South Manchester. With Thom Driggers help and motivation George weathered the hopper car number 838075 to model the heavy use seen on the Franklin & South Manchester.  He then sent the car to the Superior & Seattle Railroad by way of interchange with Jimmy D's Pennsy and Dick Ellwell's Hoosac Valley (Thom will include pictures of these stops on this thread).


That brings us to the list:


1. George Sellios on the Franklin & South Manchester
2. Jimmy Deignan's Pennsy
3. Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley
4. John Siekirk's Superior & Seattle
5. Tom Langford's Atlantic & Southern
6. Frank Baker's Morristown & Erie Railroad - Western Division
7. Bob Parish


I will keep up the list of stops for the F&SM Hopper Car on this thread.  If you would like to host the car on your layout - post your request on this thread and send me a PM Message with your mailing address.
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

bparrish

John ....

Let me know when a coal load needs to come to down town Idaho.

see ya
Bob
Did you ever notice how many towns are named after their water towers ! ?

S&S RR

We will have a few simple running rules.


1) Don't ask for the car to be sent to you until you are ready for it. 
2) If you have some local layouts that you would like to exchange with and photograph the car on please line it up when you know you are next on the list. For example - Tom Langford and I talked to this afternoon and he knows the car is headed his way the end of this week. He is already scheduling some stops while the car is in Florida. He will then ship the car out to Frank Baker in AZ where I'm sure it will be photographed on a number of layouts.
3) The car should never be on one layout more than 5 days the Franklin & South Manchester will loose way to much revenue.
4) This spot is reserved for any rules that I need to add.
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

S&S RR

Quote from: bparrish on May 24, 2016, 08:21:12 PM
John ....

Let me know when a coal load needs to come to down town Idaho.

see ya
Bob


Your on the list after Frank Baker if that works for you.
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

tct855

With the rules in hand from Superintendent John Siekirk.  Here we go!

         I'm at my desk Monday morning sharp in the Franklin dispatchers office, when I receive a call from the COO of the Franklin & South Manchester railroad telling me coal traffic is up and to order a new fleet of 2 bay hoppers lettered for the F&SM rr.  I quickly send the order out to the buckeye state to commission new hoppers to be built and delivered for the Brass Hat at the F&SM home office.

         George, not one for wasting time or revenue ordered that the car start generating revenue on it's way back to the F&SM.  We pick up on the Pennsy Middle Division with CEO Jimmy Deignan first receiving the first car of the order #838075, an 2 bay open top hopper manufactured by the Accurail Co.

Pic #1 Shows f&sm car #838075 just loaded with "Broken" coal (that's 4" -8" size rocks for those keeping track) at Gobbler's Knob coal mine.
Pic #2 Shows Gobbler's Knob coal mine built by Dave Frary.
Pic #3 Shows a rare double header of F&SM equipment pulling a long string of hoppers from the Gobbler's Knob coal mine down to Dixon Yard.
Pic #4 Shows f&sm #6 leaving Saint Andrews to personally P/u the first hopper so the f&sm Brass Hat can get an early inspection of the car's overall manufactured quality before she goes into hard service.


tct855

Two weeks later we catch up with f&sm #838075 hard at work on the f&sm.

Pic #1 shows local engine #12 working a cut of cars with f&sm car #838075 and FSMRE #2016 right after the Expo show coming off the main line in Dovertown.
Pic #2 shows a view from one of the high rises next to the branch line.
Pic #3 shows the loco stopped at the tower with the crew getting their switch list.
Pic #4 shows a close up view of the not so clean new hopper. (Boy! it doesn't take long for rollingstock to get dirty on the Franklin & South Manchester does it!



tct855

Well it's Monday Morning again at the dispatchers office on the F&SM rr. when I get another call from the COO telling me to dispatch a revenue load of coal west to Bassi Coal Co. in Hoosick Falls a.s.a.p.  It would appear a wash out of one the main lines just west of the Hoosac Valley rr. has delayed coal this week to the sister railroad of the F&SM.  George not hesitating to assist in helping a fellow railroad, we now go to the Hoosac Valley railroad with the COO Dick Elwell.

Pic #1 shows f&sm #838075 being shoved out of Berkshire Jct. Yard on it's way to Hoosick Falls.
Pic #2 shows f&sm #838075 just set out at Bassi Coal Co.
Pic #3 shows the rear view of the duel bay unloading platform behind the structure in Hoosick Falls.
Pic #4 shows the car just after delivering her load.       (the phone rings again), Guess what! Now Mr. Sellios tells me he wants the car dispatched to MI. on the Superior & Seattle Railroad and to let Superintendent Mr. Siekirk know car f&sm #838075 is on it's way to do a world interchange public relations tour in this "Worlds Greatest Hobby"     Thanx Thom...


bagman

Hi John

I'm keen to be involved.

If you guys are feeling adventurous you can ship across the pond to Australia.

I hosted Tom's AS car when it was traveling the world so wouldn't mind doing likewise with George's.

Regards
Bagman

ACL1504

Great idea and of course modesty prevents me from taking credit for the first run. ;D ;D ;D


As Bagman stated, he also hosted my AS down under. The car made it to England, France and Germany. I believe it also made a revenue stop in Canada as well.

There will be a few stops here in Central Florida for sure.

Tom ;D
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

restocarp

We would be happy to host the car on the Four County Society of Model Engineer's (FCSME) layout. We are only set up a few times a year, so we would have to coordinate the schedule so as to avoid any lag time.

http://www.fcsme.org/

Matt

GPdemayo

Quote from: ACL1504 on May 25, 2016, 06:28:01 AM
Great idea and of course modesty prevents me from taking credit for the first run. ;D ;D ;D


As Bagman stated, he also hosted my AS down under. The car made it to England, France and Germany. I believe it also made a revenue stop in Canada as well.

There will be a few stops here in Central Florida for sure.

Tom ;D


Count me in on the fun Tom.....
Gregory P. DeMayo
General Construction Superintendent Emeritus
St. Louis & Denver Railroad
Longwood, FL

S&S RR

I will add everyone that posts a request to the list and update it once a week.
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

S&S RR

Thom suggested that I take pictures of the unpacking process so I, and those that follow can remember how to package the hopper for shipment to the next layout.





As received from FSM -   George and Thom.





Step 1: cut the packaging tape and open lid.
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

S&S RR




Packaging Post 2.




Step 2: remove the EXPO add that was packaged with the hopper.






Step 3: Lift all the packaging out of the box at once and set it on the workbench.


John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

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