On a beautiful, warm, August afternoon last summer my daughter and I were treated to a train show in my mother-in-law’s back yard. Her house sits at the corner of 4th and Railroad in downtown Stanford, Mt. and has a perfect view of the mainline and old industry tracks. To top off a prefect view, her garage faces the tracks and provides a shady place to get out of the hot Montana sun and observe the railroad.
For the first 3 days of our visit a work train sat over at Moccasin seemingly with no purpose. On the 4th day though a crew arrived, turned one of the units so the consist would be back to back and headed north to Stanford. In the east industry tracks at Stanford sat several gondolas with Herzog Cartopper backhoes loaded in them. Little did I know but the two things were destined to meet.
When the work train arrived at Stanford the train was put into the west industry track and the power run around to the south end. The conductor and brakeman then went about cutting the Herzog gons into the train. I called my daughter out to the garage so we could observe. Back and forth they went all to my daughter’s and my amusement. She loved watching and hearing the Dash-9s and the coupling cars while I enjoyed snapping photographs. For a couple of hours we enjoyed this activity.
With the cartoppers loaded up, one final joint made, and and air test completed the train crew and Herzog crew headed south at 1.2 m.p.h. with the goal of getting as many ties unloaded as they could within their hours of service.
