Final Moments
It's weird knowing that the Roadrailer is actually having its final moments now. For years, rumour has plagued these last two trains, supposed final run dates coming and going with the trailers still flying down the tracks the next day, but I guess we're coming to the end now. A Trains Mag article citing Norfolk Southern as their source and including quotes from them is, well, pretty final. I don't think we're crying wolf this time.
At Dawson, a string of RoadRailer trailers speed past the old grain elevator at last light. I chased this 255 over Old 36 on the Springfield-Hannibal here as my first go at the route despite light falling fast, I figured it would be good scouting or training, as it were, and as future trips proved, this was certainly wise. These trains are proper fast movers, and capturing just a little of that speed felt like the right thing to do.
These Mark V trailers are all that remain of a ounce proud fleet of bi-modal trailers. The whole concept of these trains will be debated for years, as it already has been, even after they're gone. Many valid points on either side of the debate are valid - it has its advantages and most certainly its disadvantages, but agreeing on them is the tough part. One thing is for sure though - when these trains do go, we'll lose a bit of diversity in what we see on the railroad, and that's a shame. Homogenization is often inevitable, and while understandable, watching something as cool as the RoadRailer die off is a sad thing indeed.
Final Moments
It's weird knowing that the Roadrailer is actually having its final moments now. For years, rumour has plagued these last two trains, supposed final run dates coming and going with the trailers still flying down the tracks the next day, but I guess we're coming to the end now. A Trains Mag article citing Norfolk Southern as their source and including quotes from them is, well, pretty final. I don't think we're crying wolf this time.
At Dawson, a string of RoadRailer trailers speed past the old grain elevator at last light. I chased this 255 over Old 36 on the Springfield-Hannibal here as my first go at the route despite light falling fast, I figured it would be good scouting or training, as it were, and as future trips proved, this was certainly wise. These trains are proper fast movers, and capturing just a little of that speed felt like the right thing to do.
These Mark V trailers are all that remain of a ounce proud fleet of bi-modal trailers. The whole concept of these trains will be debated for years, as it already has been, even after they're gone. Many valid points on either side of the debate are valid - it has its advantages and most certainly its disadvantages, but agreeing on them is the tough part. One thing is for sure though - when these trains do go, we'll lose a bit of diversity in what we see on the railroad, and that's a shame. Homogenization is often inevitable, and while understandable, watching something as cool as the RoadRailer die off is a sad thing indeed.