(LVRR) Fw: LV PS2-cd, where are they today? Revealed!

["Rich Chapin" <rwc27q_@_nac.net>]

This post reports the finding of an LV covered hopper in California.

This link 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MFCL/files/Timothy%20Costello%20Photos/

should get you to access to the two photos Tim talks about. Very cool 
photos, but they have a "phantom-like" quality. Guess the LV is still 
with us.

Best Regards,
Rich Chapin


- ----- Original Message -----
From: TGAC2_@_aol.com
To: freightcars_@_sunny16.photo.tntech.edu ; rwc27q@nac.net ; 
MFCL_@_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2003 8:16 PM
Subject: LV PS2-cd, where are they today? Revealed!


FC, MFCL listers:

While photographing a train known as 1st LaMirada, a BNSF road switcher 
job which operates daily on the former ATSF Surf Line from LaMirada to 
Santa Ana CA, I came upon a fascinating discovery.  1st LaMirada 
operates before the morning rush hour traffic into a large industrial 
spur known as "The Irvine Complex".  For those of you with some insights 
to SouCal geography, the swithc is just 1/4 mile east of the CA55 
overcrossing of the Surf Line.

A Santa Ana firm receives plastic pellets in modern covered hoppers and 
converts them into plastic grocery bags, among other things.

Adjacent to each of the two live sidings where they receive their 
inbound pellets, they have a large number of older hoppers which are 
used as storage for the inbound pellets.  This appears to replace the 
tall cylindrical towers we frequently see at plastics manufacturers.  
Presumably it allows them to empty the inbound hoppers quickly to reduce 
their per diem charges.

At first glance the "storage" hoppers are PS-2CD 4427 grain hoppers.  
Their discharge gates have been modified to accomodate the hoses used to 
unload pellets. 

At second glance the 16 hoppers, in the series NRLX 45000 are former 
Conrail cars, class CL15A now with private owner reporting marks.  Most 
have Conrail grey paint with road name and reporing marks painted out.

On third glance, a few of the cars demonstrate clear signs of Lehigh 
Valley heritage. They don't have the Conrail grey, but appear to have 
been painted with a thin wash of a mineral red paint ,that has quite 
fortunately washed off the carsides.  All cars, grey or mineral red 
retain the following data:

BLT 1-65
4462 CUFT

On one of the cars, the original LV road number, LV 50977 is still 
legible.

Needless to say, finding these old friends made my day.

I've posted two photos of NRLX 45057 in the "Timothy Costello Photos" 
file in the MFCL list.  Access to the cars for photographic purposes is 
terribly limited by buildings fences and shrubs.  My apologies to those 
of you without access to Yahoo Groups.

Best regards,
Tim Costello
Irvine CA 

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