Mike S's recent post about mixed trains hit home with me.? For the first 50+ years of its existence, the BC&G ran only mixed trains.? A coach tacked on the end of the string of 50+ coal cars served both passengers and as caboose for the crews.? That must have been some ride!? ?The BC&G got their first 'legitimate' caboose in 1958 ending the mixed train service.? I model 1964 on my layout but have used modeler's license recently to reintroduce mixed service.
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The first photo is the thrice-weekly mixed train pulling away from the B&O station.? The second photo shows that at Swandale the coach is spotted out of the way at the far end of town at the two-story boarding house which doubles as a station.? I've recently added the small freight dock to the right of the coach for unloading small freight parcels.? The third photo shows the train departing for the return trip to Dundon running tender first as the prototype did in 1964.
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To add interest to the mixed operations, I always come to a full stop just short of coupling the coach.? 'Gotta be mindful of the passengers' comfort.
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The fourth photo is one of the few color images of one of the two BC&G coaches in mixed service.? It was taken by David Marquis, a model railroader, in 1955.? The BC&G's two coaches, #16 and #17, were ex-PRR cars purchased by the BC&G in 1949 for $1500 each.? I've represented both cars by modifying AM combines, sectioning them and adding porthole windows.
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'Anybody else run mixed trains?
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Brooks Stover
