Adrian Wintle Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 I saw this on my way to Kingston this weekend. About the most minimal loco stabling site I've seen. The loco is from the Orangeville and Brampton Railway (note - the location is nowhere near either Orangeville or Brampton). It consists of a 20' shipping container dropped beside the track at a level crossing, with an electrical service added to it. There was a cable running to the loco, presumably running a battery charger and (from the sound) an oil or coolant circulation pump. The general site: A closer view of the container: Looking the other way into the oil transfer site: The loco (yes, it has a high short hood): For those interested in trackwork, there is a derail just in front of the loco, like a traditional UK catch point: The location (the loco and container are visible in Streetview, although when the Streetview photos were taken they just had a temporary derail): http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ll=44.214644,-76.714772&spn=0.002299,0.005686&t=h&z=18 Just to the west is a second level crossing leading to a chemical plant (now being demolished) and a little further west, to the north of the road, is the Bombardier (formerly Urban Transit Development Corporation) test track for the linear induction motor transit cars (Vancouver Skytrain, TTC Scarborough RT), Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium BR60103 Posted April 1, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 1, 2013 This prompts the question: Do containers ever get returned for the deposit? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 It's very unlikely that it's still owned by the shipping company, they do sell old containers regularly, so they find new uses as storage units, especially at time of economic downturn. I believe they are supposed to paint out the reporting marks (ZIMU) when they are sold but it's common for it to not happen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 It's very unlikely that it's still owned by the shipping company, I'd say that was certain since they would have punched holes in the side to add the electrical service. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairb Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Not quite as minimalist, but still equally modelable are the Vermont Rail System's facilities just by the depot in White River Junction Vermont. A retired VRS piggyback trailer, presumably for spares, tools, oil and sand, and a small fuel tank Alastair Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Another minimalist terminal is that on the Ballard Terminal RR - this photo appeared in an earlier version of RMweb, approx halfway down the page http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3919&start=75 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotalLamer Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 For what it's worth in the US we call the "derail" you see in the pictures a "split rail". And in truth, what's seen there is more than we even have at the yard where I work... they just have an oil company drive up from Augusta, GA to fuel our locomotives a few times a week in Charlotte, NC... quite the drive! Anything more than minor repair work means the motor has to be sent out on the Hamlet train to be repaired at the shops there. Motors just get parked on one of a couple of tracks near the yard office. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 For what it's worth in the US we call the "derail" you see in the pictures a "split rail". And in truth, what's seen there is more than we even have at the yard where I work... they just have an oil company drive up from Augusta, GA to fuel our locomotives a few times a week in Charlotte, NC... quite the drive! Anything more than minor repair work means the motor has to be sent out on the Hamlet train to be repaired at the shops there. Motors just get parked on one of a couple of tracks near the yard office. But you have a yard office and some extra track to park the motors on... This is parked on the line to the facility, a good 100+ yards from any building. It is obviously sufficiently permanent that they added the split rail sometime between the Google Streetview pass and my photos. They don't even seem to have a porta-pottie (but they do have lots of bushes). Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotalLamer Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 But you have a yard office and some extra track to park the motors on... This is parked on the line to the facility, a good 100+ yards from any building. It is obviously sufficiently permanent that they added the split rail sometime between the Google Streetview pass and my photos. They don't even seem to have a porta-pottie (but they do have lots of bushes). Adrian Good point! I've been told a story at work that decades ago... I dunno, probably back in the 50s or 60s, there was a place uptown we used to work that was basically the UPS of boxcars. They kept a locomotive parked down there so the crew could be at it, ready to work when this industry closed the boxcar doors at 8am or whatever it was in order to ensure they'd be on the train out of Charlotte at 10am. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 The Nash County RR, a shortline here in North Carolina, used to tie down their motors inside the fence of an on line cement plant...fuel was delivered by tank trucks. No idea where the engines got their 30 day or 90 day mechanical inspections... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWB Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 This post inspired me to return to a spur at a spot on my layout and get a little more serious about detailing it. The scene, as you can see, is still in progress. The Genstar container is a stand-in for now. The ones I see are often repainted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 The engine track at Lewiston on the MEC was pretty minimal. Lewiston had had a 5 stall brick roundhouse until a fire destroyed it in 1960. Thereafter the resident switcher (a diesel since as far back as 1945) resided in what was referred to as "the corral for the horse". The wooden fence, if it can be dignified as such, did serve a purpose: underneath 958 is an inspection pit, the fence was there to prevent road vehicles being driven into the pit. Alco S-1, built in 1949, snoozes in the corral on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the late 70s, its 1974 paint job still fairly clean. No switching needed on a Sunday, soon there would be no need for a Lewiston switcher at all, but back then there was enough business to keep a yard crew busy in Lewiston. There were two yards, the crew had to drive over to the end of the Lewiston Lower branch to work the sidings over the other side of town as there was no rail connection between the two. I have no idea what the arrangements were for fuelling, I don't recall there being any kind of storage tank. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 Lawley Street had 2 sidings dedicated to Loco stabling - sanding by hand and refuelling by truck. More extensive maintenance facilities existed further along the line: Jez Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted April 6, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 6, 2013 This one is in the central valley in Califonia about an hours drive north of Bakersfield. No apparent servicing fcilities at all. Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 I'd say that was certain since they would have punched holes in the side to add the electrical service. Adrian Sorry, tried to do a reply to this a few days ago and it didn't come out - I wouldn't go so far as 'certain' - i'm sure a myriad of things have been hired over the years and returned, not quite in the same condition as they went out.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWB Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 One thing that occurred to me is whether there's a per diem fee for containers. If so, it may be cheaper to "rent" them that way than to buy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Ray Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 One thing that occurred to me is whether there's a per diem fee for containers. If so, it may be cheaper to "rent" them that way than to buy. Here's some prices for used containers - looks roughly like US$3000 on average for a 40ft container. Of course, if you own a container, you can modify them as you wish. As for minimal locomotive facilities, the Port Jersey railroad locomotive was stored when not in use in a fenced lot off Port Jersey Blvd, Jersey City - they used a caboose for facliities. I say did, because since the images above timeframe of 2007, the Port Authority of NY & NJ has taken control of the NYNJ and the Port Jersey Railroad, and seems to have added a container to the service facility (down this page somewhat) - note new blue & white livery for New York New Jersey Rail... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWB Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Well, I googled and got this http://highmountaintransport.com/Per%20Diem%20Document[1].pdf Looks like a typical container per diem is $100 per day, excluding weekends, so at that rate a year's per diem would amount to well over $20,000, so that's not the answer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted April 11, 2013 Author Share Posted April 11, 2013 I'd guess that it is a container that was damaged in some way that it can't be used for overseas shipping any more (damaged lower corner connector or something like that) or just surplus, but I'd expect a surplus one to be in a more weathered state. I'm certain it would have got where it is on a flatbed truck (no need for IBCs, just a tiedown strap over the top). Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 The loco (yes, it has a high short hood): It's a GP9. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Used (and possibly not even damaged) containers are available relatively cheaply - we used to get them in for targets on the Range, and they withstand a surprising amount of "bashing about" from direct hits - mind you it is probably one of the few places you'd see day-glo orange containers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted April 11, 2013 Author Share Posted April 11, 2013 It's a GP9. Yes, but a lot of them got chopped noses over the years. It is relatively rare to see a high nose one around here. OBRY's other one (CCGX 4009) is a chop-nose. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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