# Daily Freight on the Tuscarora RR



## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

The weather was a mild 76 degrees, with overcast skies--a great day to head up to south central Pennsylvania and do a bit of railfanning on the Tuscarora Railroad. 

We got a bit of a later start than we had hoped, so by the time we got up to that neck of the woods, we had missed the train coming into Neelyton. Not to be daunted, we continued on to Shade Gap, where we caught TRR #3 switching out the Dublin Steam Tannery siding. 










The box car in front of the storehouse had just arrived the day before, and business was a bit slow at the moment, so the crews left it there to finish being loaded. It will be moved back to Blacklog later this week. (The TRR crews rather like not having to switch out that spur very often, as the boneheads who laid out the track for that tannery surely didn't do a whole lot of thinking when they did that. Crews have to empty the tanbark loading track, as that's the lead to get to the storehouse spur. 










Today's task was simple, switching out the tanbark cars. Sheldon "Shelly" Eckerd is the brakeman on today's run. He's watching to spot the "Dolly Varden" car in front of the tanbark shed so it can be offloaded. The tanbark will be soaked to extract the tannic acid used to tan hides. Central Pennsylvania has long been known for its quality leathers, and Dublin Steam Tannery is one of the best. 












Other than switching the tannery, it's a quiet day at Shade Gap. Percival Aumiller, the station agent, has long been noted for not being quite as sophisticated as his name sounds.











Switching duties finished at Shade Gap, we catch the train as it crosses over Shade Creek headed for Blacklog.











Once over Shade Creek, it's a steady 2% climb. Today's train of two cars and a caboose doesn't even make #3 work up a sweat. 











Pulling into Blacklog, we pass the Blacklog Interchange spur. This is where cars destined to points on the East Broad Top get spotted for pick up by that road's locomotives. The EBT actually owns the trackage from Blacklog to Shade Gap, but it's operated by the TRR. EBT locos, however, frequently handle the traffic over the line as well. (We were hoping to see either EBT #1 or #3 today with a passenger train, but no such luck.) 











TRR #3 crosses the grade crossing right next to the Blacklog facilities. 











The water tower is a fairly new addition to Blacklog. Previously, locomotives would head a mile further west into the EBT's Rockhill Furnace yard to use one of the water standpipes there, but that took too much time off the schedule. Instead, the TRR crews built this tank that draws its water from Blacklog Creek. 












Shooting from the hillside overlooking Blacklog, we see what awaits the TRR crews today. The box car spotted at the depot will be moved to the interchange track, while the one farther down on the siding will go with the the train, destined for Burnt Cabins--the southern terminus of the railroad. The stock car that we picked up from the tannery bark siding will get set out for the EBT as well while the box car will get left at Shade Gap. 











The woodworks is taking their sweet time unloading their flat car, so that gets to stay another day. We'll also pick up a hopper from the interchange track. 











Our crew will stop here for water before pulling into the station. Fortunately the road is nothing more than a driveway for the depot and woodworks, so stopping traffic for 5 minutes to fill the tank hardly causes any trouble. 












With the tank filled, we're ready to pull into the siding.










Engineer George Pannebaker eases #3 slowly forward.












The fireman on today's train, Oscar Hampton, takes a well-deserved break. 











The passenger platform is also something of a new amenity, necessitated by increased freight traffic at the depot that keeps the passenger trains on the mainline to load. Passenger traffic is usually quite light, especially here at Blacklog, being so close to the EBT's Orbisonia depot.











Bringing up the rear on today's train is EBT caboose #26. The TRR doesn't own any freight cars of its own, instead it uses the EBT's equipment through a revenue-sharing agreement. Caboose #26 was built from a surplus flat car, and despite its comfortable looking size, is rather something of a rough ride. 











Not all the freight equipment on the TRR is "hand-me-down" or otherwise second-class. The EBT has just begun modernizing their hopper car fleet with these new steel cars. They carry nearly 5 times as much coal as the older wood hoppers. These cars get set out at coal trestles along the line where the agents sell the coal straight out of the hopper. Shade Gap and Neeleyton both have elevated tipples, while others shovel it over the sides--something that's a bit problematic with these newer, taller cars. 












Shelly couples the hopper to our eastbound train, and then the locomotive will pick up the stock car and box car, placing them on the interchange track prior to leaving town. 











Our consist picked up, #3 backs to couple up to the caboose.











Eastbound to Shade Gap...











Crossing back over Shade Creek, just before arriving at Shade Gap.











Pulling into Shade Gap, our train passes the flat car which we pulled from the Tannery siding. This will retrun with us to Neeleyton. Realistically speaking, the train crew could easily have pulled this car with them to Blacklog and just brought it back through, but siding lengths sometimes cause the extra cars to get in the way of switching, so most train crews prefer to leave the eastbound cars here, and pick them up on the way back through. 












Shelly watches intently as the flat is coupled to the hopper. The automatic couplers are also new to the TRR, and Shelly's quite thankful that he survived the Link-and-pin era with all 10 fingers intact. 











Switching duties completed, our train leaves Shade Gap, passing John Minnick's tannery again.











Passing through the woods just outside of Neelyton.











Every railroad has it's "Kodak" spot, and this is one of the most popular photos on the TRR--the train coming into Neelyton. The train leaves the narrows as the three-track Neelyton siding and the west leg of the wye open up in the flats. All four tracks cross over Trout Run on short timber bridges.











TRR #3 has reached the Trout Run bridges. The west leg of the wye departs to the left of the image. The new covered coal tipple sits in the background. The larger-capacity cars take longer to empty, so the winter snows tend to pile up and freeze the coal in the hoppers. The cover keeps things dry. Neelyton Supply Co.'s new storefront can be seen just behind the depot.











A billboard advertising "Rockhill Smokeless Coal" greets train crews as they pass the new covered tipple. Rockhill coal is quite well known for its clean-burning attributes, which is why locos on the EBT and TRR rarely put out the thick black plumes of smoke common to so many other steam railroads. (Rockhill Smokeless would later play a pivotal role in launching a rather obscure line of pet foods called "Alan's Products," better known as "Alpo.")












TRR 2-8-0 #3 almost seems to be smiling as her portrait is taken on the Trout Run bridge. The largest of the TRR's locomotives, she usually spends her time on the Blair's Mills to Burnt Cabins mainline, leaving the Shade Gap branch traffic to the smaller TRR locos or EBT or (occasionally) Tuscarora Valley power if necessary.












The Neelyton depot has quite a bit of freight waiting to be loaded and shipped out. This gondola will likely take most of it with it tomorrow. 












The afternoon light is dropping behind the mountains, as Shelly uncouples the flat car in front of a stack of logs waiting to be loaded. The local sawyers bring their timber down to the siding here to be loaded and shipped out. 












It's getting darker out now, and Shelly's lit the lamps in #26 as the train heads north to Blair's Mills for the night.











Our last shot captures a relaxed Shelly Eckerd--his switching duties completed--watching the tracks roll underneath, bathing in the warm glow coming from inside. With only two cars on the train, he knows that #3's engine brakes will be more than adequate to control the train on its trip north.


And with that, it's time for us to head south. Dinner awaits us as well. We'll be back to the TRR soon enough...

Later,

K


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## smcgill (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow Kevin !!! Between the photo's, track work ,buildings,Engines,people,story etc... WOW Thanks! Sean


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Luvverly. Makes me wish I still had a garden...


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

As usual I can't decide which you've outdone yourself on, the model making, the trackwork, the structures or the photography.... 

Those photos are excellent, thank you for sharing.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Excellent work! Great little story. Thanks for posting.


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin, 

An excellent presentation and my kind of operation for sure. The railroad looks great and I love that water tank at Blacklog! Does it have a prototype? In a way it looks familiar but I can't place it. 

I love unusual water tanks that while different still look "normal". My rectangular water tank at Coos Bay is based on a V&T prototype that once stood at Carson City, NV and the new one by the depot is based on Sumpter Valley's octagon water tanks. 

Really enjoyed being invited on the "run".


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## Alan in Adirondacks (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin, 

Thank you so much for sharing. Fantastic for both the modeling and the photography! 


Best regards, 

Alan


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## rgolding (Jan 2, 2008)

Nicely done, Kevin. Your railroad has really matured.


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## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin, you're ground cover, plants and trees are a perfect fit with you're excellence in modeling.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Thanks! I've been quite pleased with how the plants have filled in between last summer and this (too much in some places, I'm learning that it's okay to be merciless when ripping stuff out--it'll grow back.) I've got to replace a few bushes that I put in this spring, but 4 out of the probably 50 or so that I planted isn't too bad. That's why I buy them at Lowes and HD--they're cheap and have a 1-year guarantee.  

Richard, the water tower is based on the one that stood at Shade Gap on the EBT, though using board-and-batten siding instead of the "novelty" (similar to clapboard) siding of the prototype. The EBT used both board-and-batten and the novelty siding on their water towers, and I wanted something that contrasted with the siding of the station. In later years, most of the tanks got covered by a faux-brick-pattern asphalt siding (which in my opinion looks completely horrid!) All of the EBT's tanks were covered structures like this, with a coal stove inside to keep the tank warm in the winter. The only place that didn't have a tank was the Rockhill Furnace yards. It used standpipes, fed from a reservoir up on the hill east of the shops. 

The original plan called for the water tank to be located at Shade Gap, per the prototype. Alas, between coal trestle, the depot, and the honeysuckle bush, I ran out of room, so it got moved to Blacklog. Since it was the western terminus of the TRR's route, I figured it made just as much sense. 


Later, 

K


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## nkelsey (Jan 4, 2008)

Kevin, excellent work and great story. congratulations.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Really great landscaping. I think I like the woods photo the best...I was going to try and see if you were around when I was in Denver 2 weeks ago but scheduling and time constraints made it not happen.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Kevin
When we were at the NGRR convention, my wife and I were mostly impressed with your vegitation, your pictures are awesome, some look so real, they can so easily pass as real prototypical RR
what type of camera are you using?
Dennis


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Kevin, nicely done and oh so realistic. I can almost hear the skeeters hummin' in all of that underbrush. 

BTW, your discourse on large scale railroading in the latest NMRA Scale Rails is eloquent.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

I'm using a Canon Rebel XT with a Sigma 18 - 200mm lens. Most photos are shot at f22, which seems to be that lens's "sweet spot" in terms of sharpness and depth of field. Exposures at that setting run from 1/30th to 1 second, depending on lighting conditions, so a tripod is a must (or--as evidenced by some of the photos that didn't make the cut, a "should have used instead...") 

Jason, sorry you couldn't break free. BTW, if anyone's going to be out here for the Narrow Gauge Convention, let me know. 

Later, 

K


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## Fern Creek & Western (Mar 15, 2016)

Well here I am 9 years later looking at this post. Absolutely amazing! I gotta ask, what is the story on that stock car Kevin? Scratch built or is it an upscaled 1:22.5 scale car?

Trevor


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Although I don't model narrow gauge, I do love them though, and I must tell all my admiration for your fine layout. Beautiful structures and plants, scale rail, correct equipment, nicely weathered too. Everything is there.
I always wonder why the only nice pikes I see on You tube, Garden railways and this forum are Narrow gauge? (With a few exceptions like Paul Burches pike). It is a marvelous world that you have created.
In my case I model two class one heavy duty railroads: the French Nord railway which was the industrial boulevard of France and the Pennsy - ditto in the USA. Both took pride in their beautifully maintained manicured right oif way, which is why I was so anxious to fight moss! Now I have found a solution, which makes my life a lot easier. I guess also that I am more interested in making rolling stock than scenery. However I like making signals.
Never the less, I want to congratulate you for this very fine layout and its operation.


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