I saw 3 of the worst looking woodchip cars today, rusted, and weathered very heavily, sitting in Cheyenne this afternoon. The best part was, they were GN, still in Big Sky Blue livery!!!!! I have pics, soon to come!
Not sure where you're located, but they're pretty common here in the Northwest. You can see GN, NP, and Milwaukee chip cars pretty regularly between Seattle and Longview, and occasionally other places areound the area. Look for an article on them in an upcoming issue of Northwest's Own Railfan.
They show up in NW Montana frequently. Looking awful. But at least they still exist. The RR uses their small remnant of a yard here in town to store empties. There was an NP in town about two weeks ago. Boxcab E50
<font color="336633">Its good to hear that these are still running about, if anyone can post photos of any these will be handy for modeling projects I have planned </font>
<font color="336633">THANKS! Now thats the kinda weathering I like doing, prefer to see real ones in better condition tho......</font>
I've actually seen one of those woodchip cars in Hugo, OK back in 1987, in the BN (ex-Frisco) yard. It was in storage (or way lost), and not being used for service to either the Weyerhaeuser or Nekoosa paper mills.
A couple weeks ago, I caught a NP chip car that looked recently shopped. Still with NP reporting marks and everything. Clean as a whistle.
Another ghost of the GN found! This one is on the MT State Fairgrounds, a former GN heavyweight coach, used as a betting room next to the horse track. The fair committee wants it gone, depending on its frame condition,a nd if it can be salvaged intact, it may be donated to the Great Falls RR Museum collection.
As far as any society in history goes, we may be the most destructive ever. Apparently a forlorn photo is enough for some folks. Instead of the actual artifact. Let us hope it's safely preserved. Boxcab E50
It depends on whether or not the frame is intact enough to lift it. The truck bolsters would be a lift point as well. One wrong move during the lift, and she'll fold up ike an accordion. We're hoping the fair board/city will assist in digging it out, so we can better see what's going on under there.
Just east of Black Eagle, MT. BE is to Great Falls as St. Paul is to Minneapolis. Just on the other side of the river. I found these out by the new Malt plant off of US87. Also went date nailin' again today north of Rainbow Dam. No good rare ones, but good pickin' either way. Was a bit warm, though! Coming from a nailin' trip to Portage, MT north of GF, I nearly went in the ditch when I saw this:
All of these were in one guy's front yard!!! All are on blocks, or sitting on the ground. No trucks except under this one: Yes, before anyone asks, I did obtain permission to be on this guy's property to get pics. Actually struck up a conversation with him--talked for 2 hours! Turns out he;s a contractor that tears out abandoned spurs, etc when the RR scraps a line. It is AMAZING what he has squirreled away... GN & MILW switchstands, ties, plates, spikes, bricks from RR structures (he's also a used brick re-seller) and I quote, 'Date nails out the yin-yang'!
It;'s not tall like a GN style stand--it has the basic MILW-style mechanism, and only a small oval yellow/green target. Maybe I should stop back in someday, and snap pics of it too.