Highway-Rail trucks
#1
Les has a post with a picture of an old Ford Hi-Rail truck and it got me wondering when the railroads started to use them. I would like to verify that there was a prototype for this model.
I'm referring to the ones that had the gear for running on the rail and highway both.
Fairmont was building motor cars (speeders) into the 80's. and I remember the Hi-rail trucks that PC had that were yellow, however I don't recall seeing any on the PRR. (That doesn't mean there weren't any, just I can't recall them.)
I found a photo of a 1948 Ford pick-up lettered PC with Hi-rail gear, but I don't know if it is original.
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If anyone can help pin this down it would be great. There has to be photos out there some where.
Charlie
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#2
Hi, Charlie ! Got my doubts about that "TC 48" in the photo; the color isn't related to PRR or PC in any way I know, the flasher is a relatively modern strobe unit, not in common use under PC, the radio antenna would have been of little use (around here) as only the towers had radios,and those of limited range - and portable radios were few, because there were phones everywhere until Conrail began signal, communication upgrades, eliminating towers (manned interlocking stations), and making radio communication to a Dispatcher the normal mode of operation. When radios began to be added to highway vehicles, most got the same Sinclair antenna used on locos. So it look suspicious, but I can't yell "FAKE" with authority. It is a neat truck, and looks like it's functional, though, I think the trucks get special road wheels, also - maybe to match the track gauge for power and brake efficiency. Don't know that any of this answers any question. :geek: Duh !!! Time for Beddy. Bob C.
James Thurber - "It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers."
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