P.C.C.M. 53 Part 2 - Auto Rack Train Arrives At The Terminal

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad and Penn Central Car Movements.

The action continues on the A.P.R.R. with the arrival of an Auto Rack Train from the Ford Plant in Kentucky. These trains run North 4-5 days a week.

A little background on the Auto Racks that I use on the A.P.R.R., courtesy of Wikipedia...

An autorack, also known as an auto carrier (also car transporter outside the US), is a specialized piece of railroad rolling stock used to transport automobiles and light trucks. Autoracks are used to transport new vehicles from factories to automotive distributors, and to transport passengers' vehicles in car shuttles and motorail services, such as Amtrak's Auto Train route.

Although railroads were just beginning to see the advantages that autoracks delivered in the 1960s, most North American railroads were reluctant to invest in such specially built equipment. The Trailer Train Company, organized by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1955, stepped in to ease the railroads' financial burden a bit. Trailer Train purchased the flat cars from the rail car manufacturers, and the railroads that wanted to operate autoracks, purchased the racks that were installed on those flat cars. Such cars were easily spotted at trackside due to the reporting marks identifying Trailer Train on the flat car portion of the car and the railroad's logo (usually much larger) in the upper portion of the rack.

This arrangement worked so well that nearly every autorack operating in the US was owned by a railroad, with only a few exceptions. Trailer Train became TTX Company in 1991; since then many railroads have themselves purchased the flat cars on which the racks were installed and TTX has itself expanded into purchasing and leasing out other railroad rolling stock. The development of enclosed autoracks also helped make several other innovative services work well.

The train coming to the Auto Rack Terminal is CSX Train Q268 from Louisville, KY to NJ, with a layover at Millers Auto Rack Terminal.

Train Q268 coming off the CSX Mainline and heading to the APRR tracks in Rock Ridge. Train Q268 is led by a pair of SD40-2 engines. CSX 8861 and NYS&W 3018 bring these auto racks to the terminal. 

Once on the A.P.R.R. trackage, they head for the West Harold Secondary. Once off the main, the switchers can drill the cars to the terminal.

The engines are cut off from the train so the switchers can start to shove the racks. Tracks 1 and 3 are vacant, and that's where the cars will be placed.

CSX MP15 #1153 and 1177 will be the engines of the day. 

The caboose is removed off the end of the train. 1/87th Senior Manager John R. is making sure everything goes smooth. 

Track 1 is open and the moves to deliver the auto racks begin. 

Track 3 is getting the rest of the auto racks from Q268

The moves are done and the switchers head back to the offices by CP LT.

The engines now come off the main and will remain on the terminal property as they will head out in 24 hours back to the Ford Plant. 

And it's a wrap on the A.P.R.R.! 

Make sure you check out the rest of the participants on this great 'Time Traveler' / P.C.C.M. movement. 

N.Y.C.T.L.

K.P.D.

RALSTON CREEK RAILROAD

L.F. & N.W.

Check back often for more posts and action!