The Franklin & South Manchester Traveling Hopper Car

[Zephyrus52246]

Hi, John.  I'm not sure why the emails are bouncing.  I got your original message and sent you a reply, didn't you get it?  Anyway, whenever it gets here is fine. 

Jeff

[S&S RR]

Hi, John.  I'm not sure why the emails are bouncing.  I got your original message and sent you a reply, didn't you get it?  Anyway, whenever it gets here is fine. 

Jeff

Jeff


I sent you a PM with the error message I'm receiving when I try to email you.  I tried again today with the same results.  Anyway the F&SM Hopper has made the journey back home to play it's part in an upcoming video.  Thomas Driggers or George will sent it directly to you when they are done with it.  Send it back to me when you are done and I will ship it off to the next person to sign up on the list.  I have a couple local layouts that would like to host the car.

[tct855]

Hi All,
           It's been nice to see all the great layout visits so far interchanging with the Franklin & South Manchester Railroad Hopper Car #838075.  After receiving the hopper from Bagman from Australia, George wanted see how the car was doing being handled so much.

           Truth be told, the membership has shown that the car could not only survive the mail travels, but also the many hands without so much as a scratch.  That said I added a couple un-coupler lift bars to upgrade the detailing just a bit.   So here are a couple upgraded pics.  Thanx Thom...

[tct855]

Hi all,
           Here we see the F&SM #838075 interchanging directly with Franklin, Hamilton & Essex railroad on the Hoosac Valley railroad.  Here we see a couple quick pics of the Saranac Branch of the New York Central Adirondack Division local train with RS-1 #8235 running by the Hoosick Valley Station on it's way to the Franklin & South Manchester railroad.  I followed the train down Old Valley road until I reached the crossing where I lost the train cutting through the valley.  Thanx Thom...

[tct855]

Hi Everyone,
                     Now for a treat!  After following the F&SM #838075 again from HV rr on it's return to F&SM rr I notice the Saranac Branch of the New York Central Adirondack Division train goes by a new structure next to John Allen Trestle.

                     The Otis Hidden Co. I believe they sell hay, coal, flour, grain, seed, feed and I think the kitchen sink also. ha.  I tracked the train from a distant water tank located in Franklin outskirts on it's way to drop off the hopper at the Colbert yard coal tower to be filled and sent on it's way to Dr. Jeff Hawkeye country. ha.  Thanx Thom...

[bagman]

Hi Thom

Please thank George on my behalf for interchanging my train on the F&SM.

Now if only it will look that good on my layout !

Love the new structure. See, it just goes to show that you can always make changes to your so called "finished" layout.
It's never finished. All it takes is the courage to rip something out and start afresh.

Bagman

[tct855]

I will tell him, but don't forget Dick Elwell hosted the same time spent on his layout also, pics posted above. ha.

[S&S RR]

Very nice pictures Thom. I see George is making changes again . I love the new structure. Thanks for sharing the pictures with us. It's also good to see the hopper on Dick's layout.  So I wonder how many miles are on that hopper already.  Nest stop is out in Iowa.  Dr. Jeff it's coming your way.

[bagman]

I will tell him, but don't forget Dick Elwell hosted the same time spent on his layout also, pics posted above. ha.

As I said Thom...clearly I need new glasses !
Totally missed the post on my train interchanging on the HV.

A thousand apologies for that.

Looks fantastic running on such a well known and much admired layout.

Please thank Dick on my behalf for being such a gracious host.

Very much appreciated.

Of course many thanks to you for being to thoughtful and taking my train to both layouts.

Your a good man !

Bagman

[ACL1504]

Hi All,
           It's been nice to see all the great layout visits so far interchanging with the Franklin & South Manchester Railroad Hopper Car #838075.  After receiving the hopper from Bagman from Australia, George wanted see how the car was doing being handled so much.

           Truth be told, the membership has shown that the car could not only survive the mail travels, but also the many hands without so much as a scratch.  That said I added a couple un-coupler lift bars to upgrade the detailing just a bit.   So here are a couple upgraded pics.  Thanx Thom...

Thom,

We all respect George and his work so we were very careful with the hopper. The coupler lift bars really look good.

Thanks for the update.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Hi all,
           Here we see the F&SM #838075 interchanging directly with Franklin, Hamilton & Essex railroad on the Hoosac Valley railroad.  Here we see a couple quick pics of the Saranac Branch of the New York Central Adirondack Division local train with RS-1 #8235 running by the Hoosick Valley Station on it's way to the Franklin & South Manchester railroad.  I followed the train down Old Valley road until I reached the crossing where I lost the train cutting through the valley.  Thanx Thom...

Thom,

David's train looks great on the Hoosac Valley RR.

Thanks for sharing it with us. You did a fantastic job with the weathering on the cars.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Hey, like John said, I also see a new structure at the John Allen Curve.

Looks wonderful!

Tom

[tct855]

Tom,
          Thanks for all the great lies comments ha. shhhh don't tell John S. but now he'll need to go to his pictorial of the F&SM structures and update the "The Otis Hidden Co." to his list. ha.  Thanx Thom...

[Zephyrus52246]

The F&SM hopper arrived on The Empire early this hazy morning.  It transferred from out east via the NYC in Chicago and onto the Chicago to Minneapolis line of the CB&Q.  It's on a through freight with a fresh load of eastern coal to be delivered somewhere on the Q.  The engineer and conductor are getting their orders and should be moving shortly.

[Zephyrus52246]

Finally underway and traversing the truss bridge over Buck's Run Creek and the Illinois Central.  The once beautiful scenery here was destroyed when Godzilla got loose and his fiery atomic breath ruined everything in his path.  The bridge and mainline were quickly rebuilt, but Mother Nature will have to restore the scenery.