From one of my e-mail lists I read that NS accidentally shifted some cars from Shaffers Crossing onto the track where VMT stored some equipment. Supposedly an old beer box car was destroyed. Does anybody else have any information?

I just read that here, says Fitzpatrick confirmed this. They will have to place a locked derail at their entrance.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Not the BEER car!!!!!

Sane the Ales!!!!!!!

No worries, it wasn't a beer car, it said "Budwieser" on it. Yellow water car?

In all seriousness, it is sad to lose another piece of wooden rolling stock, although it looks like NS just sped up work Mother Nature already had well under control.

Rob

OK Guys,

Here is the update on this "Mishap" The wood boxcar in question was stored at an off site location. Meaning The Virginia Musuem of Transportation years ago worked out a deal to store pieces of it's collection it deemed un-fit for public display at an off site storage location which happened to be in the middle of the Norfolk Southern Roanoke Hump Yard. Apparently early in the morning of Wednesday Feb 23rd a Norfolk Southern Yard crew was shoving cars up into the wrong yard track and incountered the stored equipment of the VMT. Also lost was one NS/N&W C-31 Caboose and a Covered Hopper not to mention one Conductors Career. Along with the total distruction of the N&W Wood Boxcar, Which was painted up as a "Budwiser" car from an old restoration deal years ago, (Deal...We cover cost of your boxcar restoraton you just paint it for "our" brand/product) Was some damage to the coupler on the 150ton crane belonging to the VMT also stored in the yard. As of right now no other damage in known on any other of VMT's equipment stored on same track.

Please see attached pictures for views of what reamins of the N&W Wood Boxcar (Budwiser) as of Feb 25th. Currently working with Museum to make sure Truck Sets and any usable metal parts are salvaged.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=q6cj3n ... ke%2C%20VA

I guess it WAS in the middle of the yard!

OK Steve, you beat me to it, I was typing on a post with a link to your photos.
I spoke to Bev this afternoon. (The off-site storage concept was from a previous Executive Director at VMT, whose management skills were light-years away from the good people there now). VMT is not making a big deal of this. As Rob pointed out, the weather had pretty much done a number on this car, and it was questionable as to whether or not it was still able to be saved. The trucks and other hardware will be salvaged for future VMT/associated projects or to be made available to other organizations. VMT is seriously working on rationalizing it's collection to be truly regional. While this incident is a bit of an "extreme", hopefully some deals will come together soon that will mean good things for "neglected" parts of the collection, and for other organizations. NS has been a great supporter of the rail preservation community in this area in the past few years. They have generously stored this equipment for VMT for 7 years. The reality of the times is that historic equipment has no business being stored in the middle of a busy modern freight yard in the first place. Hopefully, this incident will help lead to positive consideration of proposals that would eventually result in a permanent off NS property home for some of the rest of the equipment in the yard and other historic equipment in the valley, as well as the development of a proper shop facility and additional revenue sources. If that happens, this boxcar will not have died in vain.

Dont mean to change the subject, but looking at that map view, what are those two E(?) units stored in the line of equipment? What Road name are they in? Any info?

Yes.

One of them is Wabash 1009. Per my previous post, Bev is working on a deal with a midwestern group that would "repatriate" her to Wabash territory for restoration. The other is RF&P 1001, which is to remain in VMT's collection. Why they have no sides is a long story that I don't feel like typing tonight, (and I believe has been discussed here before.) Hopefully, 1001 will get some new sides & paint out of the deal.....:)

Gary,

Not having immediate access to my library (it's home in Suwanee and I'm here in Elkhart for a bit), is the 1001 one of the E units that the N&W borrowed when Stuart Saunders (an especially hot place in hell was waiting for him) showed up?

Thanks,
Mike

Mike, I'm not sure. But there have been "discussions" from time to time about how she would look with N&W lettering.

An active rail yard is a very bad place to store equipment. Attached are pictures from when I was in the area last year.

From what I see of the wreckage, there have been wooden cars in much worse condition that have been restored. Hate to see it lost, but its gone and not much can be done now except for what Mr. Pullman says is being worked on...salvaging the trucks and other hardware.

From studying the Bing maps images, it looks like the equipment is occasionally (or was at least once) moved. If you zoom out from the linked image, the equipment jumps further north and west, with the beer car just south of the Shenandoah Avenue NW/15th Street NW intersection. Same track, just shoved to the west. The VMT equipment is coupled to a string of other (modern) freight cars, so it appears NS moves the equipment when necessary for their purposes and needs. This time the crew just screwed up.

I sure would like to get that SR SD-7 (CofGA 201) out of there and preserved somewhere! Its between the passenger car and the Conrail SD-45 (if that's what it is).

Hi guys. Me again. I'm really bummed to hear the fate of the old wooden Budweiser boxcar. I was hoping to get newer and better pics of it one day since I have a much better camera now. But like before it was rare that I came down the road and there wasn't something blocking the view. I was hoping to see it restored one day. I read VMofT thought it "un-fit for public display" and had to chuckle a little. Not to knock them or anything I know times are hard. But considering how rough some of the other displays are I don't see where it would have been a problem.
Cool info on the Walbash (if I got that correct) units. I had been wondering about them.
I would like to see them up close one day. But that won't come until they are moved to a better location or on display.
I knew something was up when I saw the photo getting lots of hits.
Sorry I've been away so long. I find it hard to keep up with the news on here.
Thanks.

But it wasn't a "Budweiser" boxcar. Sad to see such a relic go, but there are plenty of wooden boxcars around the country, and at least four within fifty miles of me, here in Maine. Aha! Rather than looking at the loss, has anyone called Anheiser-Busch, with a request for a re-paint at their museum?