Over two years ago, May 4, 2012 to be exact, I started a traveling frieght car for forum members. It was on JD's old forum on that many of you still participate. Here the link to the traveling frieght car on the other forum.
http://www.kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7000 (http://www.kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7000)
Well, I decided to bring my "AS" back to home rails and start it here on this forum.
I know there are many here that haven't sponsored the Atlantic and Soluthern hopper, known as my AS! The rules are simple.
The idea being that I would provide a car, photograph it on my layout and then send it on to another member of the forum to do the same. The person with the car will be responsible for packing and paying the postage to the next forum member. When the car is received, we would like for the car to be photographed on your layout, diorama, workbench or whatever and sent on within a few days. Holding the car for several weeks or a month defeats the purpose to see how it moves around.
If you are interested in sponsoring the car just post it here or send me a PM and I'll get it moving again. Dustin, Coors2u forum member, was the last one to have the car. As I said, it is now on home rails.
My AS arrived on the Atlantic and Southern last month and was spotted on the lower level yard by ACL Pacific #451.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131214173828.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131214173828.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131214173804.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131214173804.jpeg)
Continued in a few.
ACL FT #882 diesel was scheduled to pick it up for the south bound local.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131214173845.jpeg)
The train was cut between the Seaboard and B&O boxcars.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131214173905.jpeg)
The local backed and coupled to the hopper.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131214173924.jpeg)
The hopper was moved to the mainline and coupled to the B&O boxcar.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-131214173941.jpeg)
Where it is to be dropped is anybody's guess at this time.
Tom's AS was spotted on the Superior & Seattle Railroad in 2013 - it was pulled by a Jeep back to Michigan from the 2013 EXPO.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-131214205819.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-131214205859.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-131214210010.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-131214205937.jpeg)
That was FUN !!
A couple of infamous RailFans stepped out of Viola's Tavern in Arkansas to celebrate it's passing!
I hope a lot more folks jump in to help L'il Tommy's AS enjoy the journey as a drifter around the country!
Heck, he's about to be retired - a drifter should work well now!!! ;D ;D ;D
Rumor has it that the Atlantic and Southern hopper #3667, AKA - my AS, has been spotted near Horse Shoe Curve on the Pennsy. I'll do some investigating and let ya'll know.
Tom ;D
Oh my.....Tom's AS has been seen passing over the track of the St. Louis & Denver om the way to Horeshow Curve. You never can tell where Tom's AS might show up next.................. ;D ;D ;D
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/27-070315162327-70191531.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/27-070315162327-70191531.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/27-070315162327-69532276.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/27-070315162327-69532276.jpeg)
Those of you who read Model Railroad Hobbyist Magazine will find on this month's cover, Wally Brady's Canadian National Railroad here in Plymouth, MA. That is the layout the Traveling Freight car traversed when it was in Plymouth last year. Great layout and a fine host
I spotted my AS on one of the tracks over the four track mainline.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161038.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161038.jpeg)
It was stopped long enough for the picture before inching forward. Normally these trains stop and hold up traffic for 20 minutes or so.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161055.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161055.jpeg)
I climbed in an old oak tree to try and get a look at the mainline at AR Tower. All I saw was a couple of Pennsy E7's and my AS wasn't in that train.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161111.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161111.jpeg)
I then flew over to Horse Shoe Curve to look for my AS, nothing.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161136.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161136.jpeg)
After a few minutes a pair of Pennsy H-10s chuffed by and the first headend car was my AS. Now that's what I call priority.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161153.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161153.jpeg)
Those double headed H-10s sure are impressive.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161217.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161217.jpeg)
Later that afternoon I found #3667 spotted on a siding near the coaling tower. Looks like a J1 in the background.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161241.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161241.jpeg)
The local switcher moved the hopper to the colaing tower. Good thing as all those Pennsy engines look mighty hungry!
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161324.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161324.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161400.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-070315161400.jpeg)
I am glad that #3667 has made it to the Pennsy and has become part of some of the great layouts on the tour of this famous car ;D.
Quote from: PennsyJ1 on March 08, 2015, 07:36:05 AM
I am glad that #3667 has made it to the Pennsy and has become part of some of the great layouts on the tour of this famous car ;D .
Bill,
When my AS first started traveling around the country, your Pennsy wan't but just a little past the benchwork stage. Now the Pennsy is part of my AS's history.
Tom ;D
Last week, prior to the Expo, my AS visited Howard Zane's layout. The layout used to be the Piermont Division but now it is all ERIE! Anyway, I found my AS in a line of hoppers on the Erie.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-310315154117.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-310315154117.jpeg)
Old #8667 was spotted on one of the three mains.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-310315154138.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-310315154138.jpeg)
It was soon picked up by none other than an ACL Q1 Class 2-10-2, Santa Fe type.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-310315154237.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-310315154237.jpeg)
Continued in a few.
I saw it spotted at one of several coaling towers.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-310315154205.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-310315154205.jpeg)
The next time I saw it was on the main line.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-310315154223.jpeg)
I wonder where I'll find my AS next time?
Boy.....your AS sure gets around..... ;D
Quote from: GPdemayo on March 31, 2015, 04:21:55 PM
Boy.....your AS sure gets around..... ;D
You betcha!
Last night I was drinking with some railroad men, and one tipped me that Campbell Shoe had to load a car on Easter Sunday or they'd lose out on a big deal. It was good money for clean work, so I walked over to West Lynn yard after church. While I was waiting for the next truck, I heard a Lima whistle for Western Ave. There aren't many 2-8-4s left on the B&M, but they often catch the night freights that interchange with the New Haven through their Boston Harbor Tunnel. Those don't run Sundays, so while I wound my camera, I wondered what would get an extra east called on Easter.
My first shot caught 4012 slowly climbing the grade, preparing to stop at Saugus Jct. I checked my watch; she wouldn't go till the 2:07 had passed. The truck wasn't in sight yet, so I hot-footed it up the stairs behind the yard office and shot one as it waited, then another of it accelerating away toward Bexley. Just then the truck turned in the driveway, so I had to run all the way back.
Trains through the Harbor Tunnel are mostly high cars, produce, merchandise, autos, parts for General Electric, like that. But this extra had a loaded coal hopper on the head pin. I hadn't ever seen an Atlantic & Southern hopper before; New England's hard coal comes from the anthracite roads, and the soft coal that doesn't come off barges is shipped from Pennsylvania. On my home I stopped at Joey's to grab a 'Gansett. He told me that hopper was some kind of special coal the Navy wanted in Portsmouth, pronto.
Yesterday Larry and Mike stopped by Joey's after work. It turned out they'd heard about the Sunday extra and had gotten a couple of shots of it in Bexley. Larry was west of the tunnel, but only his going-away shot came out:
Mike was behind one of the buildings on Lafayette Street and caught it passing the yard and engine terminal. Too bad about the diesel, it spoils the picture for me:
Most Thursday nights, a few of the local Railroad Enthusiasts members get together at Saulena's in Bexley. Last night a guy from Newburyport joined us, I think he called himself Bubba. He brought several prints of the 4012 farther up the line. And there was that AS hopper car. The first was leaving Rowley:
The second was crossing the salt marsh into Newbury at Little River.
Bubba said the 4012 really had a roll on its train across the marshes; he barely caught up to it in Newburyport and then couldn't catch it again before Rt. 1 turns away from the Eastern Route in Salisbury.
Great story and pictures. My AS is on the go all the time.
Frank Baker, Erieman, in Arizona says he'll take the car and do an update on his layout. Send Frank a PM to get his info.
Tom ;D
Good Morning Tom and the rest of the followers of Tom's AS 3667. The package arrived yesterday and was immediately loaded on the railroad and a few pictures were taken. So-o-o, without further ado, here are a couple of pics of Atlantic & Southern 3226 behind a Erie GP7 triple header leaving Chester heading East. I took several pictures in this area since most of the scenery is done in this area. The car needs to into the repair shop for some new paint (on the weights) and screw replacement on the trucks/body. Must be all the miles that this car has seen over the past three years. The owner of the car is aware of the repairs.
Enjoy the pics and I'll be taking some more later in the day.
Frank / Erieman
Do we have a roster going for the exchange on this forum. If so, please add me. Jim
Jim,
I have no official roster for the car. However, you are the next in line. Erieman can send you the car when he is finished moving and making the repairs.
Thanks for being a part of my traveling AS!
Tom ;D
Frank,
Thanks for taking the AS and moving coal on the Erie. The scenery in the area of the car passing through looks great.
Tom ;D
Hopefully I will have some small section of a layout sufficiently finished to host your ASS by the end of this year. I will then put in my bid to host the car.
Quote from: ACL1504 on May 01, 2015, 11:40:54 AM
Frank,
Thanks for taking the AS and moving coal on the Erie. The scenery in the area of the car passing through looks great.
Tom ;D
Tom,
Good Morning. Thank you for your comments on the photos. More to come. The car has been undergoing some repairs as I mentioned to you in my email. The weights have been primed and painted flat black and that really helped. In taking the car apart to remove the weights, I found that the body end, just above the coupler box was broken. That is now fixed with a little solvent. On the frame, the end with the brake cylinder was damaged. Actually, it looks like it had been that way from the original build. The section with the brake and air cylinder were distorted. That has been straightened. I had to used a solvent to straighten and secure everything. Now to install the new screws and this car is ready for many more miles of operation.
Frank / Erieman
Quote from: Erieman on May 02, 2015, 10:20:28 AM
Quote from: ACL1504 on May 01, 2015, 11:40:54 AM
Frank,
Thanks for taking the AS and moving coal on the Erie. The scenery in the area of the car passing through looks great.
Tom ;D
Tom,
Good Morning. Thank you for your comments on the photos. More to come. The car has been undergoing some repairs as I mentioned to you in my email. The weights have been primed and painted flat black and that really helped. In taking the car apart to remove the weights, I found that the body end, just above the coupler box was broken. That is now fixed with a little solvent. On the frame, the end with the brake cylinder was damaged. Actually, it looks like it had been that way from the original build. The section with the brake and air cylinder were distorted. That has been straightened. I had to used a solvent to straighten and secure everything. Now to install the new screws and this car is ready for many more miles of operation.
Frank / Erieman
Way to go Frank.....not you need to build a new structure for the layout.....
Baker's Car Repair Shop "If you have damaged or broken rolling stock.....we can have you back in service in a flash"
Frank,
Thanks for all the repairs. It has been hard on my AS traveling around the world. Look at the protoypes just traveling around the states.
Tom ;D
Apparently, Frank will fix your AS if it touches his layout!
;)
John
;D
Quote from: Donato on May 01, 2015, 02:56:36 PM
Hopefully I will have some small section of a layout sufficiently finished to host your ASS by the end of this year. I will then put in my bid to host the car.
Donato,
You are now on the list to host my AS! One "S" by the way! 8) 8) 8) 8)
Tom ;D
Quote from: Cuse on May 02, 2015, 11:39:47 AM
Apparently, Frank will fix your AS if it touches his layout!
;)
John
Cuse,
Apparently he will fix my AS and he did!
Tom ;D
"I'm not fixing or kissin anyone's AS". Just saying. But I did fix Tom's Atlantic & Southern 34' hopper. Here are a couple of pics. Besides painting the metal weights, fixing the brake hydraulic cylinder, straightened the frame at the brake wheel end, replaced the screws for the trucks and readjusted the height of the couplers, everything is good to go. All that shaking at the post office probably did not help matters. I'll be taking some more pictures on my layout and Russ's layout tomorrow. Hope everyone has a great day.
Frank / Erieman
Great job Frank, and I don't let anyone kiss my AS either. They can however, be free to kiss the A&S 34' hopper. Just saying.
Tom ;D
OOP's, I found something else that bugs me. The wheel sets are bright shiny metal, not rusty. They will be when the car leave here! Just consider it a 50,000 mile tune up!
Frank / Erieman
Quote from: Erieman on May 02, 2015, 02:33:48 PM
OOP's, I found something else that bugs me. The wheel sets are bright shiny metal, not rusty. They will be when the car leave here! Just consider it a 50,000 mile tune up!
Frank / Erieman
Frank,
Listen my friend, you must be slipping. All those things were wrong with the car the first time it visited the Erie. However, it has probably traveled the 50,000 miles since then. 8)
Tom ;D
Tom's happy now, but wait until he gets the bill from Frank for repairs to his AS.
dave
Quote from: ACL1504 on May 02, 2015, 11:40:45 AM
;D Quote from: Donato on May 01, 2015, 02:56:36 PM
Hopefully I will have some small section of a layout sufficiently finished to host your ASS by the end of this year. I will then put in my bid to host the car.
Donato,
You are now on the list to host my AS! One "S" by the way! 8) 8) 8) 8)
Tom ;D
I was being generous .... an extra S or more wouldn't hurt .... :-\
Quote from: deemery on May 02, 2015, 06:13:34 PM
Tom's happy now, but wait until he gets the bill from Frank for repairs to his AS.
dave
Repairs, what repairs? My memory is very short! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Tom ;D
Quote from: Donato on May 02, 2015, 07:07:12 PM
Quote from: ACL1504 on May 02, 2015, 11:40:45 AM
;D Quote from: Donato on May 01, 2015, 02:56:36 PM
Hopefully I will have some small section of a layout sufficiently finished to host your ASS by the end of this year. I will then put in my bid to host the car.
Donato,
You are now on the list to host my AS! One "S" by the way! 8) 8) 8) 8)
Tom ;D
I was being generous .... an extra S or more wouldn't hurt .... :-\
Donato,
I was just messing with ya. Any thing extra never hurt at all.
Tom ;D
Quote from: ACL1504 on May 02, 2015, 07:10:04 PM
Quote from: Donato on May 02, 2015, 07:07:12 PM
Quote from: ACL1504 on May 02, 2015, 11:40:45 AM
;D Quote from: Donato on May 01, 2015, 02:56:36 PM
Hopefully I will have some small section of a layout sufficiently finished to host your ASS by the end of this year. I will then put in my bid to host the car.
Donato,
You are now on the list to host my AS! One "S" by the way! 8) 8) 8) 8)
Tom ;D
I was being generous .... an extra S or more wouldn't hurt .... :-\
Donato,
I was just messing with ya. Any thing extra never hurt at all.
Tom ;D
No sweat Tom ..... I'm a messy kind of guy to begin with .... ;D
I gotta step in her and say:
Li'l Tommy's roamin', ramblin' and wore-out ol'e AS has been the most entertainin' and best topic on this or the
'OLD' forum!! It's brought a load of nasty, dirty coal and a lot of FUN to a lot of model railroaders!!!
Kudo's to L'il Tommy!!!
OK, that's the last nice thing I've got to say!!!!!
Quote from: gnatshop on May 03, 2015, 06:23:01 PM
OK, that's the last nice thing I've got to say!!!!!
Oh sure, and Erieman has beach front property for sale in Arizona!
C'mon man! We all know you are a softy at heart.
Tom 8)
Quote from: ACL1504 on May 03, 2015, 06:35:10 PM
Quote from: gnatshop on May 03, 2015, 06:23:01 PM
OK, that's the last nice thing I've got to say!!!!!
Oh sure, and Erieman has beach front property for sale in Arizona!
C'mon man! We all know you are a softy at heart.
Tom 8)
It will probably be after the big quake hits lala land. ;D
Now that my newsletter is done, I can get back to the subject at hand. Tom's AS is back on the layout as the photos show below. It is shown in the town of Chester. Enjoy the pics.
Frank / Erieman
Frank
Tom's AS has never looked better.
Frank,
The town of Chester looks great. And I'm not even taking into account the station you built. It's good to see my AS making a second tour of some of the layouts.
Tom ;D
Quote from: S&S RR on May 11, 2015, 10:30:34 PM
Frank
Tom's AS has never looked better.
Amen brother, should I dare say, thanks for noticing?
Tom ;D
Quote from: ACL1504 on May 14, 2015, 11:06:27 AM
Quote from: S&S RR on May 11, 2015, 10:30:34 PM
Frank
Tom's AS has never looked better.
Amen brother, should I dare say, thanks for noticing?
Tom ;D
I'm starting to worry about you two! ;)
Don't worry Greg, we are just two old train guys having fun kidding each other.
Now that the car has been repaired, I took another series of pictures last night on the layout in the town of Little Falls. Recently, I completed the bridge and have been working on the rock tunnel portal. thought that this would be a good place to photograph the car. I have one more area that i would like to photo the car and then it will be sent to whomever is on Tom's list. Let me know.
Frank / Erieman
Quote from: Erieman
Don't worry Greg, we are just two old train guys having fun kidding each other.
Frank / Erieman
Oh good.....I have enough to worry about without having to add you to miscreants to the list..... ;D
By the way.....Great scene with the rock portal! 8)
Frank,
As DeMayo said, "Great scene" That's an area of the layout we haven't seen. Looks great also.
I don't know of anyone on the list. I guess you can send it back to me for now unless you have some time to put it on Russ' layout.
Tom ;D
Quote from: GPdemayo on May 24, 2015, 10:25:50 AM
Quote from: Erieman
Don't worry Greg, we are just two old train guys having fun kidding each other.
Frank / Erieman
Oh good.....I have enough to worry about without having to add you to miscreants to the list..... ;D
By the way.....Great scene with the rock portal! 8)
Greg,
Thanks, Glad you like the recent photo of the rock tunnel face.
Frank/ Erieman
Quote from: ACL1504 on May 24, 2015, 11:20:28 AM
Frank,
As DeMayo said, "Great scene" That's an area of the layout we haven't seen. Looks great also.
I don't know of anyone on the list. I guess you can send it back to me for now unless you have some time to put it on Russ' layout.
Tom ;D
Tom,
I'll keep it here until someone wants it on their layout. In the meantime, I have a few new scenes upcoming. I will be up at Russ's layout today and will take a couple of pics. If I hang on thru the summer, I can some pictures on several of the layouts that will be open during our convention. There about 30 layouts at the convention, probably 20 in HO. Just let me know.
You have seen this area before, just not looking into the rock tunnel. That's new. Here is the overall picture - the town of Little Falls. I have been working on filling in with the rock walls. Enjoy.
Frank / Erieman
Keep the car for the other layouts, only if you have the time.
I recognize the area now. Still a fantastic scene Frank.
Tom ;D