And Now For Something Completely Different - Vintage Railway Inspection Cars

Here's a few vintage shots of something you don't see everyday...Not traditional Hot Rod, not quite suitable for the 'Pics of Days Gone By' thread, but (I feel) still HAMB worthy vintage mods none the less.

Of note is the fact that a lot of these (at least in Canada) were either bored, stroked, had modified carbs, suspension, cooling systems ,custom manifolds installed or all of the above to 'soup 'em up' to account for the extra weight as well as so they could do 'track speed' of 70-90 MPH and not interfere with scheduled trains. Railroad sanctioned hot roding?

I'm a former Canadian Pacific Railway conductor and have spent my fair share of time on the rails. Many years ago I had the opportunity to drive a modified '58 Pontiac wagon that was hopped up in a similar manner that was used on Canadian National. Let me tell you, it's quite the sensation to be cruising along in the driver's seat with your hands OFF the steering wheel!

I don't know how popular these conversions were in the US, but they were quite common up in Canada (though Lionel did make a toy back in 1958-60 of a '58 Desoto wagon 'Executive Inspection Vehicle').

Enjoy!

 

I have friend that belongs to a motor car club, they put on at different places and ride the rails. Not exactly Hamb material, but interesting little machines. All purpose built, for railway repair, the ones that I was most interested in had Model A Ford running gear. Thanks For the pics.

 

Neat pix. But you should know there have been several other threads on these in the past. Gary

 

10-4. Didn't know - new member.

 

The early cars are way cool.Thanks.Had a great uncle that worked for Union Pacific.

 

Love that Pontiac wagon.

 

When did the railroad start giving out Cadillac rail inspection cars instead of pocket watches for retirement?

 

Pretty sure 20" rimz with lo-profile (no-profile?) rubber is not allowed on the HAMB.

 

OK, OK, I concede. Hat in hand, I apologize. I'll write 'the HAMB is a traditional HOT ROD only forum' 100 times on the blackboard then go back to pounding dents outta my hood.

Will this get me out of the doghouse?

 

With those cowcatchers, maybe the birth of Pro Mod?

 

I remember seeing one of these cars as a child. I went home and told my father that I saw a car on the train tracks. I got a whipping for lying.

 

Hot Rods and steam engines - you're waaaay out of the dog house in my book!

 

Often wondered how many good fly fishing holes I could get to in a day with one of those. Of course you would have to be really in tune with the train schedules.

 

B&O, Balt.

Western MD. The first donk?

 

The rail road hierarchy (the brass hats) rode in those fancy cars. The track workers rode in these rail speeders until the 60's when high rail equipment was made for pick ups and suburbans. This is me and my late partner in our 1953 Fairmont rail car on the Cumbers & Toltec RR in 2008. We ran this car all over Ca, Az, NM, and Co, and had the time of our lives.

 

Good thread, Oldsmobile marketed one in 1904. Bob

 

There is a 1957 Pontiac wagon inspection car in the Duluth MN railroad museum.

 

Now that is neat! I live walking distance from the NC Transportation museum which is a very old train station and locomotive restoration shop as well as a museum, and even with all their cool stuff haven't seen something like this! If any of you come through NC within 30 mins of the charlotte area i recommend checking out the museum lots of neat stuff in there.

 

Interesting stuff. In Colorado we have several Galloping Goose RR cars, or would that be Galloping Geese? they were narrow gauge and used during the depression & after the silver mining bust. One in the museum in Golden & others around the state.

 

"Within 30 min of the Charlotte area" takes in a lot of territory....where exactly are you talking about?

 

i bet they handled like they were on.............

 

Probably the place he IS exactly talking about, the NC Transportation Museum.

Copy + Paste that into google and you get: 1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer, NC 28159.

 

There is one in Spencer about an hour from Charlotte.
See above, I type slow.

 

Here is a 1:20 brass model I have of Goose #5. In the '30's The geese were built on Pierce Arrow chassis and bodies. There were many evolutions until the Rio Grande Southern RR finally shut down in the early '50's. This model is the second to last configuration using the Pierce front end, a Wayne bus body, and a freight trailer built in the RR shop. Contracts with the US postal service hauling mail kept the RR afloat in the '40's. The final configuration saw windows and seats in the trailer when the RR became a tourist line.

 

Yup Spencer NC. Its really about 40 mins from charlotte down 85 and roughly the same from Winston-Salem. But if traffics bad itll take ya an hour or so. Here's their website for those interested. http://www.nctrans.org/

 

Very nice sir.Thanks for posting.Many years ago( I was about 8) I saw a steamer come through my home town in Fl.My Father said he rode on the train when he had first moved to Fl in 1916.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

That last white car was running on at least 25's before they were even popular......

 

I don't have a picture of it but my buddy and I built one out of an old go-kart in about 1960. We used the stock wheels sans tires after we altered the track (no pun intended) of the kart to match the track. Get it?

We soon discovered that the kart would go nowhere with the metal to metal setup. We then glued old inner tubes to the centers of the inside of the wheels. Not as much slippage and we were off.

The first, and only, trip was on the Kansas City Southern line near out houses. Down the track we went for about 4 miles when the railroad security people caught up to us in a real observation car. To say that they were not impressed would be an understatement.

We surrendered the kart to the railroad in exchange for not going to jail. Eleven years old and we were going to jail?Anyhow, we went home and never told our fathers about the trip. In those days telling one's father was way worse than going to jail.

 

Dean, Weren't there a pair of Pope Hartford rail inspection cars at Knotts Berry Farm in the 1970's? Wonder if they were restored back to cars? Bob