Check out theses "Donks"!

These may have been posted before but I didn't see them..........

 

You could be really screwed if you don't know when the train is coming!
What was the use for these, just transportation?

 

Track repair.

 

Not as fancy and used as a working car.

 

The railroad still uses pickup trucks modified in such a manner down here.
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">

 

They still use pickups and other work trucks on the rails. Some are called "hi-railers" if my memory serves me right.
They are used for track inspection and some minor repairs.

 

Those are the best lookin "Donks" I've ever seen!

 

they still use those trucks here in az too... I wanna build one lol..

 

I work for the railroad. We call them Hi Rails. Big trucks, Pick up trucks and suburbans are in the fleet. Some are hydraulic, others are a lever-action type. sometimes can be a pain in the butt to get on the rail.

 

Those are great photos, I have heard that those pics were out there , but had never seen them . thanks for posting

 

Rudebaker them are some great pics how did you find those

 

Cracks me up on that last picture with the cow catcher on the front.


Ya suppose that's where the idea of solid wheels came from, for running out on the salt flats?


HellRaiser

 

found this pic

 

Is that an Air tank under the running board for teh brakes ?

 

I saw something similar to those at a railroad muesum in NE Missouri. Was probably 10 years ago. I'm not sure exactly where it was. Maybe Breeder or one of the other guys from that area knows where I'm talking about.

 

A friend sent them in an e-mail forward. Here's a few more.....

 

Pretty sure it is.

 

VERY cool!!!!

 

I'll bet that is for a loud train horn. Brakes are probably the stock units the car came with. I can't imagine something like that with air brakes.

 

Nope, they were runnin' 'shine!!!

 

Somebody might correct me, but I think those are the sand tanks for extra braking. Or something to do with that anyway, maybe air tanks to pump the sand.

 

Take a look at the left front wheel a few inches above the track, that's a brake "shoe". The inertia of those big steel wheels would have wasted the stock brakes on one of those pretty quickly. The brakes weren't exactly great even with stock wheels and no extra equipment.

 

they use sand for traction , don`t know about braking , but they might

 

Yeah LowFat, my brain works faster than I type. That's what I meant to say. Steven.

 

I WANT ONE!

John

 

I love to tell people that when they first introduced the locomotive they thought the steel on steel wouldn't be enough tration so they tried cogs and all kinds of crap to drive them, then they discovered that if they lost traction they could just dump sand on the rail in front of the drivers and it would work just fine. Then I always ask "do you know what they do now?" Same thing!
CHAZ

 

Stock ?? You do see those big brake shoes on the front don't you ?

and yes I thought sand as well

 

Those are air brakes the rods coming out actuate the brakes notice the shoes on the front of the wheels just like the shoes still used today.

 

I saw a early 50s Chevy station wagon rail car in Eureka Springs, AR at
the train station. What seemed wierd was no steering wheel. Just
the controls to operate it on the tracks.

 

Those are some big ass cars! Love em!