Weekly Photo Fun 1/31-2/6/2020

[doctorwayne]

I managed to catch The BEE approaching the Maitland River Bridge...



...and was surprised to see the Northshore's colours on a couple of trailing passenger cars...



I had not heard anything about these cars earlier, but was even more surprised when I was developing the film and noticed this...



...an electro-mechanical air conditioning unit.

I also noticed a couple of people in the two trailers, but they appeared to be technicians, rather than passengers.

I later learned, from a friend who works at the Lowbanks Shops, that the two cars were not yet in-service, as they hadn't yet received diaphragms, which are supposely held-up somewhere down in the States.  The run was a test of the air conditioning systems, and an assessment of the cars' ride qualities.

He also sent me this photo of The BEE on the Lowbanks turntable, showing, beneath the road name on the car's flanks, a somewhat different style of air conditioning unit.  Wish I had been there for the ride (it's common practice for riders who arrive at the station early, to board immediately, which explains the passengers enjoying a twirl on the turntable while the BEE is turned for its eastbound run).




I managed to make an enlargement of it, as seen here...



And, to top it all off, one of the Hoffentoth brothers sent me this photo of The BEE, southbound on the high bridge out of Park Head...



Park Head?   That's not even the Northshore's track!

I later learned (Why am I always missin' out on these things?) that they wanted to test The BEE's power, which they knew had increased after they swapped-out the original gas engine for a diesel.  Supposedly, she went up that hill (2.8%, and that's uncompensated for the many curves) like there was nuthin' trailin'.

I'll hafta git me a ticket when them there diaphragms come in.