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Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard
https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=44550
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Author:  wrg113 [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 12:45 am ]
Post subject:  Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

Hello All. I'm looking for any information you can offer regarding what exactly this thing is and any history, stories, etc. A friend of mine spotted it yesterday, stored in a building at Enola Yard in Harrisburg. Thanks in advance!

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Author:  wrg113 [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 12:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

One more shot of it....

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Author:  Tom F [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

It has vents at the top and it has stenciling talking about charging. It looks like a portable battery supply for jumping starting dead locomotives. Not a bad idea. We used to have a couple of batteries on a pallet and drove the forklift to the locomotive to jump start dead locomotives. The portable battery supply as seen in the photo would be very helpful if you had a lot of dead locomotives in a siding that needed to be started. As long as you had a empty track next to it start one and move on to the next.

Author:  TrainDetainer [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

It's the shop switcher. Battery powered. There were three of the type on CR (each was a bit different) and there was a thread about them on here not too long ago with photos of each.

Author:  Bobharbison [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 10:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

Yep, what TD said, very small shop switcher.

Remember the (in)famous 1/2 GG1? This is the modern era version of it. Made from bits and pieces they had on hand. It probably wouldn't make sense to build new, but made from spare parts, it's economical and it works so why not?

Author:  WVNorthern [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

A railfan special I was on in 1990 stopped at Metro North's maintenance facility and I got a shot of their "critter".

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Author:  G. W. Laepple [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

I am not 100% positive, but I believe this little shunter is used to spot locomotives on the wheel truing machine inside this building.

Author:  bbunge [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 7:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

Perhaps the last piece of in-use NS equipment in Conrail blue?

Bob

Author:  G. W. Laepple [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

There is a Conrail blue caboose/cabin car/shoving platform here in Lancaster, Pa.

Author:  CTA4453 [ Thu Jun 11, 2020 2:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

The previous thread regarding these: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=44370

Author:  simmons-machine [ Tue Jan 12, 2021 9:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Interesting "Critter" Spotted At Enola Yard

That is 100% the shunter that transports locomotives on + off that wheel truing machine. I saw it in action in 2016 when I went to document said wheel truing machine, as it was the second underfloor wheel truing machine ever installed. It was in operation for 65 years! You can see a photo of the wheel truing machine here: https://smtgroup.com/dependable-machine-tools-that-endure/ - I'm actually finishing a short video about it fairly soon.

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