The Franklin & South Manchester Traveling Hopper Car

[GPdemayo]

The FSM hopper #838075 is seen arriving at the Columbia yard of the St. Louis & Denver Railroad for some revenue opportunities after a profitable stop on the A&S rails.
 

 
Now, let's "go back to the future" when more of the empire is completed.
 
Let your imagination run wild and picture the empty hopper arriving at the Palmer Coal & Coke Tipple No. 2 to pick up a load of coal for Palmer Coal in Columbia.
 

 
Keep that imagination going and picture that loaded hopper dropping off coal at Palmer Coal in Columbia after a short run on the StL&D branchline.
 

 
Isn't it amazing what your mind can create.
 
Many thanks to George for providing the hopper so that we can all have a little fun and get to see some of our forum friends layouts.
 
Ole' #838075 will be returning tomorrow to A&S rails for forwarding to distant lands for more great adventures.

[ACL1504]

I'm very glad the F&SM hopper is full of coal now. The people of Tahope need it for the power plant. It was very generous of the President of the St.Louis and Denver Railroad to host the famous hopper.

While the hopper was being rerouted, the St. L&D sent a Frisco 40 PS1 boxcar over to the Atlantic and Southern RR. for the much needed Diet Pepsi. The Union strike would have been over was it not for the three days is took the St. L&D RR load to arrive.

It's a bit unclear why they chose to send the boxcar down behind some kind of Porter Mogul. In any event it did arrive.



The engineer was told to set the car off at the freight office next to the main station.

[ACL1504]

It was unloaded and all the Diet Pepsi cases got an armed guard escort to the A&S RR main office.



I guess it will take another three days for the Mogul 2-6-0 to return the Frisco boxcar to it's home rails.

Dang, that Jose sure gets around. I hope he's strapped in as if he sleeps there to long, he just may fall out. Well, that will solve at least one problem with the non revenue passengers.

[GPdemayo]

The Board was glad to help a neighboring railroad in its time of distress and Diet Pepsi crisis.


FYI.....the Board is responsible for the delivery of the life saving elixir by ole' No. 2. It was their collective wisdom that the Porter Mogul be preserved, as it was the last wood burner to have run on the lines and holds a special place in the hearts of a few of the senior members.


They thought it would be an honor to have this special delivery made by such a historic loco. 


Just a thought.....might it not be a wonderful gesture on the part of the Pepsi company to distribute a few substantial grants to the A&S and StL&D for all the free advertising they get on these threads? 

[deemery]

The Board was glad to help a neighboring railroad in its time of distress and Diet Pepsi crisis.


FYI.....the Board is responsible for the delivery of the life saving elixir by ole' No. 2. It was their collective wisdom that the Porter Mogul be preserved, as it was the last wood burner to have run on the lines and holds a special place in the hearts of a few of the senior members.


They thought it would be an honor to have this special delivery made by such a historic loco. 


Just a thought.....might it not be a wonderful gesture on the part of the Pepsi company to distribute a few substantial grants to the A&S and StL&D for all the free advertising they get on these threads? 

Hmmm...  I suspected the Mogul was crewed by Railroad executives who were not bound by the union contract.  All those old guys who used to fire steam and got promoted to dispatcher, roadmaster, etc, was the only crew that could operate on the railroad.


dave

[GPdemayo]

The Board was glad to help a neighboring railroad in its time of distress and Diet Pepsi crisis.


FYI.....the Board is responsible for the delivery of the life saving elixir by ole' No. 2. It was their collective wisdom that the Porter Mogul be preserved, as it was the last wood burner to have run on the lines and holds a special place in the hearts of a few of the senior members.


They thought it would be an honor to have this special delivery made by such a historic loco. 


Just a thought.....might it not be a wonderful gesture on the part of the Pepsi company to distribute a few substantial grants to the A&S and StL&D for all the free advertising they get on these threads? 

Hmmm...  I suspected the Mogul was crewed by Railroad executives who were not bound by the union contract.  All those old guys who used to fire steam and got promoted to dispatcher, roadmaster, etc, was the only crew that could operate on the railroad.


dave

Hi Dave.....your suspicions are correct and you should have seen the party those guys got when the returned. A well known local brewery furnished all the beer and the ole' boys consumed vast quantities of the free stuff. 


The Board was thrilled that the guys and the engine got back in one piece. 

[ACL1504]

The sun was poking it's shinny head through the Pennsylvania woods. Three men, all of whom have no desire to work, were up early. At least one of them was excited! Clem was poking the fire with a long branch being as he was to lazy to even stand.  Slim had his head in his hands and leaned back on his log pillow. You see, Slim decided that poking the log to get the fire going was to much like work. On the other hand, the most excited of the three was Jim. He was standing by the fire banging out a tune on his banjo!

He was singing, "Tis coming round da mountin, here tis come. Tis comin round da mountin, here tis come. F&SM hopper tis comin round da mountin, comin round da mountin, here tis come." Clem said, "Be quiet Jim, ya want the local PoPo to eared ya and took usin in?" Jim replied, "I's ain't worried, nary one bit cause I'd eared the F&SM is comin round da mountin. I just gots to see its".

[ACL1504]

In the mean time, the famous F&SM hopper was spotted on a siding behind Langford Wood, also know for selling high quality lumber and roofing materials.



What this photographer finds interesting is the fact Langford and his Babe aren't waving at the hopper. And by the way, where is Jose. I expected to find him in the woods with the other three nonworkers. You see they all have in common that every day is Saturday.

The hopper was sent to the Pennsy, Six miles West of Altoona, PA by the Atlantic and Southern RR. There is certainly no telling how long the hopper will stay behind the lumber company.

[ACL1504]

At some point during the day, the hopper was moved to the coaling tower to drop the coal. Here a Pennsy H10 consolidation pushes the hopper back to the coaling tower.



The brakeman is attempting to get the attention of the coal tower operator to verify the coal is to be dropped here.



Horace, the angry coaling tower supervisor, is waving his arms saying, "The hopper is empty you idiot, get it out of here, can't you see I've got huge Pennsy locos to service."



The hopper was then spotted next to the huge Pennsy T1- duplex.

[ACL1504]

Look at those massive M1 mountains double heading up the grade. They are pulling a long coal train up the Gallitzin grade. I wonder if the hopper is in this train?



It appears the Pennsy recognized the famous freight car and placed it directly behind the Pennsy M1s.

[ACL1504]

A few hours later, the hopper is spotted coming out of Tunnel Hill. Look at the smokey haze! That smoke is still coming out of the tunnel.




WOW, lookie here, the hopper is now seen behind the Langford Wood and Lumber Yard. Who is that guy anyway? Don't tell me he is the guy with the Babe that waves at the F&SM hopper.




Where is that Jose guy? Must be sleeping somewhere cause we know he ain't working.

[ACL1504]

Here we are at AR Tower. All Pennsy trains must stop here to perform a brake test before going down the Rat Hole.

Hey, is that an express ACL reefer in the train? Yep, sure nuff.



But where is the F&SM hopper? Oh, there it is behind the Pennsy Shark B unit.



Here the hopper goes into the Rat Hole.

[ACL1504]

The hopper is now well past Altoona and passing Kattanning Point headed for the very famous Horse Shoe Curve.



How lucky are we? Its a fly over Horse Shoe Curve. We see the F&SM hopper on track 4 behind three Pennsy freight units.

A Pennsy passenger train is passing in the opposite direction on track 2 being pulled by two Tuscan Pennsy PA units.

And there is the wonderful Pennsy K4 Pacific #1361.

[ACL1504]

This car is so famous that it takes two massive Pennsy SD40's to spot it for the next pickup.



Hey, I think that is Danny Raymond, (Raymo) watching the switching moves. Nice car there Raymo.




The travels of the traveling hopper car have come to an end on the Pennsy, six miles west of Altoona. The car is waiting to be sent to the Morristown and Erie Railroad oddly enough in Phoenix, AZ.

To be continued by the owners of the famous Morristown and Erie Railroad.

[PennsyJ1]

Nice job Tom presenting the F&SM hopper car. By the way, we found Jose. He was hitching a ride with Raymo near the coaling tower. Not sure where they might be heading.
Bill