More potential loads to model:1) Barber Greene produced asphalt and aggregate
handling equipment in Aurora on the West Batavia branch. Several loads a day
of their unique green colored equipment left on Q flats every day.Sometime
I'll have to relate the unique manner in which hand signs had to be passed
inside the one loading building.It was indeed unique and never came across it
anywhere else.
2)New Idea was located in Plano,Il and they produced farm implements.Things
like hay rakes,conditioners,etc as I remember.
3)Austin Western was located across McClure road from Eola yard. They
produced road graders and cranes,etc.Many,many Q flats were loaded everday by
them and pulled by the 4pm east yard job.Their equipment was primarily yellow
or a deep red.Sometimes we'd pull loads for the army and export painted in
various other colors.My great Grandfather worked there when he came off the
boat.
4)Cat @ Montgomery opened in 1957 producing the d-4 and other tread driven
units.As the lines expanded Montgomery soon became the center for all (or
most) rubber tired units.We often pulled 25 loads a night out of there.Quite
a site when we ran short of time occassionaly and left the loads for the next
day.We would end up going to Eola with 50 or more flats loaded w/Cats! Lets
see 50 times $300,000 equals! Much of this was export business to the port of
L.A. A real revenue gold mine.We did whatever Cat wanted done,no questions
asked.About every 2 weeks we'd get a load of D-4's or D-6s out of Peoria to
spot at the Montgomery plant where they would finish them out and then be
shipped to destination.
5)Kewaunee Boiler shipped boilers on Q flats(see Mike Spoors books for
photos).
6) Check your C&A Div timetables for #69/4.This was the "local" to the Quad
cities and handled all the eastbound farm equipment from I.H.,Deere,etc. Its
interesting to follow this trains history thru the timecard as its
origin/destination point changed over the decades.
GIVEN ALL THESE POTENTIAL LOADS ;WHEN OH WHEN IS A MFG. GOING TO PRODUCE A Q
FLAT SO I CAN BY 25 OR SO OF THEM ?
Leo
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