This is another case where having a camera would have been very worthwhile.
Not wanting to steal Mike’s post and actually thinking about posting this because of seeing Mike’s model, I witnessed a very interesting rail truck on the CSX lines yesterday about 20 mile west of Carlyle. The truck was towing a very simple rail trailer and for the best description I can come up with, the truck looked like the lumber jack’s trucks that are very popular in this area. 3 driving axles, with the back 2 axles being dual wheeled and the front driving axle was sucked up for use only when carrying heavy loads. At the very back edge of the bed was a tower with a crane operating position and as the truck was going down the track the second person on board was sitting at the controls. The driver was at the steering wheel. There was a set of rail wheels at the back end of the bed under the crane tower, but the uniqueness of the rig was the placement of the front wheels. They were located at the front of the bed or aft of the cab. The truck was sitting at about the angle it would be at if being towed by another truck. Maybe up about 15 degrees.
It was lead by a CSX pickup about a quarter mile up the track and from the lettering on this rail truck it was not a railroad company truck, but a private contractor. The trailer had railn it and I would think they were picking up scrap rail as they went along. None of this was done while in my view. But they did go through the crossing in Summerfield, Illinois and the driver did blow a standard crossing whistle signal with the air horns.
I thought it was quite unique, especially the location of the front lifting wheels. You know the angle was great enough the back wheels may have been permanently positioned and just put on the rails by lifting the front of the truck. It truely was easy chair postion driving.
Sorry about not having a camera.
