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Well, I think IRM can come pretty close to most of your criteria, and perhaps exceed many. For the last few years we have operated demo freight trains on selected days during the summer. Trains have been up to 21 cars long using a variety of cars and cabooses from the 1910-1950's era. It has been run behind the 1630 decapod, first generation diesel power, and even electric locomotives such as the IT 1565.

Some longer trains, some shorter as appropriate, and some with matching home road loco and caboose. Of course that may be a compromise we have to live with and the camera eye cannot take in the engine and caboose on a single train in any detail at much over eight cars long.

We even ran one pulled by a DRI&NW switch engine (a jointly owned road of the CB&Q and MILW) and trailed that consist with restored and appropriate CB&Q and MILW cabeese.

This year the freight dept substantially completed work on tank car IRCX 1277 (1917), tank car AMOX 9499 (1910), milk car BFIX 512 (various dates - rebuild), caboose BRC 223 (1948??), caboose CGW 601 (1946). We typically focus on the external restoration and mechanical condition first (for operations) and then move to caboose interiors where needed.

Bob Kutella

Strasburg has done most of these things in recent years. So has East Broad Top. Both have early vintage diesels as well. And don't forget the Cumbres and Toltec.

The Wilmington & Western at least HAD the ability to pull this off. They have/had a B&O wagontop boxcar, a flat/gondola or three, wooden B&O cabooses, and a DL&W "Boonton" combine and coaches. They did one noted night photo session trip before their wooden trestles were washed out, relettering,reconfiguring 4-4-0 98 as Mississippi Central. Nowadays, I'd have to see how many of their "vintage" freight cars could roll.

It would also be possible for their AB&A 0-6-0 58 to be reconfigured to pass for nearly-identical-in-appearance B&O 0-6-0 58; I tried to do that for a photo charter but the flood waters hit first. They also have a former B&O SW1--one of only 2-3 diesel types ever permitted by the B&O on that branch--that could be renumbered to its original # of 208(?).

The B&O Museum certainly has the collection of equipment to run an authentic-looking freight charter with old diesels, if one overlooks the fact that almost everything on the train would be B&O-lettered, not exactly a commonplace occurence in freight days. Unfortunately, a couple other non-B&O cars there that could handily pass for other vintage equipment appear to be potential scrap fodder as I type--a couple coal hoppers and a tank car, for example.

NCTM in Spencer can also assemble a somewhat "period" local freight train behind its operable diesels, and has done so for its Railfan Weekends.

If we expand this to critters, there are a lot of other places that have or could run such photo trains. The Central Pa. Chapter NRHS, before losing its high bridge to a flood, ran a couple photo trips with its 45-tonner and its vintage freight cars acquired from ACF in Milton.

When Williams Grove gets their PRR 0-6-0 back together they could run a photo freight with nothing more than a little paint. In addition to the 643 they also have an ex PRR N6b caboose, one Reading flatcar, one flatcar of unknown origin, a trussrod M&P wooden boxcar, and a tank car. All are old enough to fit well with the 643. The freight cars and caboose would need to be painted authenticly. I am not sure how old their critter is but I think you could use the same cars with it. I have wanted to run a photo freight there for the last 25 years.

John Bohon

Up until they went for sale, the McCloud could have, and has done such freights. If you are into narrow gauge, the Sumpter Valley has the equipment and the scenery unmatched for photos.

While we don’t provide a steam loco of any wheel arrangement, we have on several occasions recreated historic freights as operated on the Centerville branch of the South Pacific Coast when it was operated behind horses (1882 to 1909).

One train consisted of two flatcars, one built 1887 and used on the branch, the other built in 1907 in nearby San Francisco, pulled by two horses, in tandem harness. A later train included a replica of the Centerville 4 wheel flat, with a single horse and the third was a 1880 narrow gauge boxcar with a single horse operated last September. We have operated a few steam powered mixed trains, using a 1891 Baldwin 0-4-2t “Deannaâ€

unfortunately, standard guage RGW, D&RG, or D&RGW steam is all but non-existant. We have done well with annual photofreights open to the public and with charters using UP618 (2-8-0), wooden boxes (which include one of only two ever owned by the "Saltaire Route"), flats, tank cars, and UP CA-3 caboose #3700 (or #3706?) over 16 miles of track that gives scenery of riverside, lakeside, western high desert, and valley farmland. Oh, do you know about our mountains in the background...

BTW, you RyPN oldtimers, do you remember the question on existant standard guage cattle cars? Were any ever found? HVRR (D&RGW out of Heber City) shipped more sheep in the 1930's than any other terminal in the nation.

sc 'doc' lewis

As to the stock car question - IRM owns, has restored, and operates ATSF 60394 which we understand was THE LAST such car rostered as active by the Santa Fe.

Bob Kutella

Conway Scenic

Can put together an operable 1950's B&M frieght top to tail lead by an F-7, at least 4 freight cars meeting your requirement and an apporpriate buggy. Plus, it can run on a real B&M branch that maintains much of its B&M "feel."

Railroad Museum of New England

Again, B&M 1950's but with a GP-9 and buggy with probably the largest variety of frieght cars. Also can toss you an NH RS-3 running on a former NH branch it used to serve.

Steamtown

The "DL&W" train lead by the D-L's SC and the parks PRR and DL&W equipment tailed by the Keyser Valley hack. 1949 anyone? Oh yeah, once again they can do this on native trackage. Get 'em a CN caboose and the Mike would look great on this!

Kempton

Take the LNE-painted Whitcomb out for the day and you can charter it with an entire LNE train including caboose, or for color throw in the recently restored C&O reefer. LNE had a Whitcomb twin, the rest is authentic coal road.

Strasburg

All they lack are cabooses appropriate to each loco's home road.

That brings us to the Mason-Dixon line. Someone else can take over from here...

Rob

Strasburg has the following restored and operable freight cars:
Boxcar PRR 96451, boxcars M&P 713 & 723, Rutland boxcars 6081 & 9194, CV boxcar 40025, Flatcar M&P 122, flatcar PRR 491240, hopper SRC 150, hopper PRR 194796, tank car Tidewater/ CNJ 92528, caboose PRR 476087, caboose SRC 12.

M&P 122 is still lettered for the WWW movie. PRR hopper is being repaired and will be painted within the month as will the Tidewater tank car.

We have a PRR gon awaiting restoration, which now seems more likely with the popularity of photo freights.

The cars range in build dates from 1903 to 1925.

The Northwest Railway Museum has Northern Pacific Double Deck Stockcar NP 83296 built in 1930 by the Ryan Car Co.

Richard

Well, I think you can add TVRM to the mix on this. Just shot movie scenes this fall like this:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=81241

and we have done similar things in the past. Also, more rolling stock available, that for the right reason/price could be used I think.

Seasons Greetings to All.
Mike.

There is at least one stock car in the Transportation Museum in Galveston.

There was one on isolated trackage on a ranch outside of Houston, TX. I don't know if it is still there.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

The Western Minnesota Steam Threshermens Assocation at Rollag uses stock cars with bleachers in them as their passenger cars. The upper boards have been removed from the side you enter on, the track circles the grounds and you ride facing in toward in show.