PRR work train

[adari]

Does anyone have a few pictures of prr work trains. iwas thinking of buying a complete one but I dont know what they looked like. thanks

[Conrail Quality]

What type of work train are you envisioning? The PRR was a huge railroad that many different, very specialized pieces of MOW equipment. For example. here's a car that was used for catenary maintenance: http://crcyc.railfan.net/mow/misc/prr489696.jpg

The fact is, any car, heavy weathered, with MOW stencils on it could be a passable maintence car. Don't forget the weathered part- MOW cars, on every railroad,  were rarely cleaned, and they showed it.

If you want some inspiration, check out the work trains of other railroads. The Conrail Cyclopedia (http://crcyc.railfan.net/) has a whole section of their website devoted to MOW- and a good portion of Conrail's MOW equipment was inherited from the PRR

Timothy

[jayl1]

Morning Sun has several volumes of Pennsy freight equipment.  If the PRR books  are like the other roads, there should be photos of work equipment.

Some cars - big hook (crane), flat car or gondola for the crane boom to hang over, flat car w/ extra wheel sets, old box cars, etc.  CR Quality gave you a good site to check out.

[SteamGene]

MOW cars were frequently the generation behind - revenue cars which could no longer be used in interchange service. 
Some ideas:
Box cars modified into bunk, mess, and office/engineer cars.  Used as equipment storage cars, perhaps with extra grabs at the doors, or steps under the doors.
flat cars with ties, rails, beams
gons with wheels, ballast
tank cars or old tenders for water
ballast spreaders (modified hoppers)
old coaches used in lieu of modified box cars
blacksmith car on old flat car
big hook and idler car.
old caboose for office
Gene

[adari]

thanks for the list

[john tricarico]

you can also try al stauffers PENNSY POWER books

pennsy had a big variety of M.O.W. and also wire trains
about 10 years ago atheran had pennsy work cars
in the yellow and black
there were 2 passenger cars and a few freight cars

walters had a work train out a long time ago

i just got hold of a bowser nc8 caboose in prr
yellow and black
theres plenty of webs out there with pennsy pics

good luck   john t  brooklyn ny

[ebtnut]

That photo of the catenary repair car points up one important item- color.  The PRR's standard MOW color was yellow, usually with black roof if the equipment had a roof.  I've seen old box cars (either wood-sided or retired X-29's) that have had porthole windows installed for office-bunk use.  I think they're the same type portholes used on the ends of the MP-54 commuter cars. 

[adari]

What would pull the train and would they have the train disconnected or would it always be connected. Same for the cars would they always be connected or not?

[SteamGene]

Motive power would depend on era, to begin with, and length/weight of the train.  As a rule, a railroad would not use its best power, whether a 2-8-4 or a MAC for a work train.  Whether the locomotive would remain coupled to the train would, in part, depend on how long the train is going to be in one location. 
Gene

[ebtnut]

Usually, motive power would be whatever was lying around the enginehouse that wasn't much use for anything else.  There's a pic in one of the B&O books of an Atlantic that had been put into work train service in the late '40's.  Work trains might be assigned to day work--i.e., routine track maintence, where they would go out and back each day.  In those cases the consist would normally stay intact.  If there was major work to be done over days or weeks, then the work train would usually be spotted on the nearest siding and remain there.  The loco would drop the equipment, leave, and another loco would come back when the job was done.  In these situations, the work train would likely include bunk cars and a kitchen car to serve the crew which would remain with the train.

[john tricarico]

ebaynut

your correct about the catanery repair train or wire train
in 1981 i caught a photo of an amtrak wire train in sunnyside yard
at head end was an mp54   train was painted orange

perhaps bachmann can do more M.O.W. cars

good luck  john t  brooklyn ny

[RAM]

Work trains were, as a general rule, trains that would be moving. Dumping ballast, or ties. Picking
up scrap or used ties. Cars that were set out for long turn work were set out and picked up by the
local. A train I would see on the Santa Fe was the supply train. It had old baggage cars and box
cars. It would stop and drop off supplies at the stations. boiler compound, and what ever. One of
the last active steam that I saw on the Santa fe was one such train pulled by one of the big 3461
class 4-6-4.  One other thing is that work trains often had a small crane, The type that could be loaded on a flat car.