Large Scale Central

Mower Lumber Company Rail Truck

Prototypes
#1

West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company started rail logging operations at Cass in 1900. The railroad, initially called the Greenbrier & Elk River and later the Greenbrier Cheat & Elk, grew rapidly into a major logging system. More and larger locomotives were purchased until there were 14, one Climax and the rest Shays. The mainlines and the name were sold off in the 1920’s to Western Maryland, but WVP&P continued operating with trackage rights. Business declined in the 1930’s, and the operation was sold to Mower Lumber Company in 1942. Mower continued the rail logging on a much smaller scale until 1960. The state of West Virginia took over the line in 1961 and operates the line under the name of Cass Scenic Railroad.

Here are a couple of views of the Mower Lumber Company Rail Truck. I love the self-contained turntable it carried with it. This is a prototype that would make a fantastic large scale model.

#2

Now that is cool.

Nice find Bob.

More pics would help, as it looks like a light on top.

Ah, research!!

#3

That is a neat rail truck and a clever way to turn it.

The row of shacks look like they might be old boxcars converted to bunk houses? Above the guys hard hat you can see stirrup steps and maybe a wheel. It looks like they were parked for a long time seeing the handrail and well worn path down to the track.

Cool stuff.

#4

Someone on G Scale central posted this video early this morning. At about 5:19 there is an interesting rail truck of more modern vintage. The railway is in Hungary.

#5

If you like old rail trucks, then you will love Western Maryland Rail Motor Car #6. The following info and photos are from the West Virginia Railroad Museum. I’m not sure if the restoration was ever completed or not. I know those big wheels would look right at home on some of the modern cars I see on the highway today!

In early 1946, the Western Maryland purchased 17 assorted highway vehicles to ‘handle men and material over highways eliminating delays and expediting work’ according to the WM documentation. Included in this group was a five-passenger Cadillac Sedan to be used as an Official Car.

By 1955, the 1946 Cadillac was ‘no longer appropriate for official use’ and converted to Rail Motor Car #6 in 1956 for a total of $500.00. It was retired in 1968 and sold. #6 was purchased by the museum from the estate of John J. Warfield, Washington, DC, who died suddenly in April 2006.

A second '46 Caddy has been purchased to act as a ‘parts department’ for #6 and it includes the grill! Work is underway to fully restore #6 and have it running in spring 2007.

Thanks go to Bob Parks and the Western Maryland Railway Historical Society for providing the history on #6.

Restoration work is underway in a garage in Elkins.

#6

That Caddy is cool!!!

#7

Those shacks are bunk cars built on logging flats…used for the logging crews…

#8

This 1947 Caddie is at the Smith Falls railway Museum where I have done some volunteer work. It had been donated to the CPR by a doctor from Toronto. The caddie, identified on the track as M-260, is an eight cylinder, has only 32 000 miles, weighs in at seven tons. It has a turntable underneath so that it can be reversed on the track, and the steering wheel became part of the air brakes. Air brakes, an air horn, and a bell were added.