Vol 4: Freight Cars Part A
Vol 4: Freight Cars Part A
Vol 4: Freight Cars Part A
Vol 5: Freight Cars Part B
Vol 4: Freight Cars Part A
Vol 4: Freight Cars Part A
PREVIEW OF VOLUME IV: Freight Cars (Part A)
Johnny Graybeal's epic saga of Along the ET&WNC continues with his fourth release- Freight Cars Part A. All freight car data was initially planned to fit into a single volume, but so many new pictures, as well as reams of data, were uncovered that two books were necessary in order to provide justice to the subject.
This volume covers boxcars, flatcars, gondolas, and woodcars in details that you never dreamed of. Existing rolling stock is documented and photographed with such depth that will please both the modeler and historian alike.
Special chapters and appendices provide an all-time roster, complete with car specs, cost, construction details, and the various numbering systems used throughout the life of the railroad.
Gondolas handled everything that came in bulk commodities, including coal and gravel if it was consigned to a customer without a tipple. These gondolas sit in Elk Park during World War II, waiting to be unloaded. Due to the crisis, the cars were not repainted when needed; instead, a metal board with the required information was simply nailed to the center of the car.
Wood cars were used for exactly that…hauling wood. Cordwood and pulpwood was big business on the narrow gauge, especially in the later years. Essentially a gondola with a board missing, wood cars were most often painted boxcar red rather than the traditional black on gondolas.
Talk about your basic flat car! By the last days of the narrow gauge, No. 261 was the only original flat car left on the roster. All of the details of the car are clearly visible in this slightly elevated view, which shows the floor, end, and side. All lettering has long since faded away, leaving the epitome of weathering.
Throughout the entire history of the narrow gauge, there were only three stock cars on the roster. No. 700 was the first of two cars built in 1926. The carriage of livestock was never big business on the railroad, but they did carry the occasional carload of cattle, horses, sheep, chickens, and even mules. The three early cars were retired in 1934, and the 700 series were retired in 1941
PREVIEW OF VOLUME V: FREIGHT CARS (PART B)
Another treasure trove of information regarding one of America's most beloved railroads will soon be available to modelers and historians. Volume V of the acclaimed "Along the ET&WNC" series will conclude the in-depth examination of the freight cars hauled by the narrow gauge railroad. From the gondolas to the cabooses to the innovative "Trailer on Flat Cars", this book provides a detailed study of the rolling stock and their roles on the railroad.
This volume provides all the details that railfans have come to expect from author Johnny Graybeal. Grab irons, paint schemes, and brake riggings are of course presented, as is a detailed study of the traffic patterns that emerged on the railroad throughout its existence. Sit back and enjoy your ride on the ET&WNC.
In 1935, the ET&WNC joined with its trucking company subsidiary in offering trailer on flatcar (TOFC) service between Johnson City and Boone. Loaded trailers were sent on eastward from Boone to the North Carolina piedmont. This service lasted only four years, and all three cars were retired by 1940.
Caboose 505 was the work horse of the freight train for almost 25 years. Crews found the car comfortable, and the occasional rail fan always got good pictures of the train from the top windows of the "crummy". Happily, this caboose is still in existence and in the hands of a private party.
The ET&WNC's hopper car fleet was originally built to transport iron ore from the Cranberry mine to the furnace in Johnson City. They were also used to deliver coal, and finished their days hauling gravel for road building. The drop bottom doors were released by the ratchet mechanism in the center of the car, and a hand crank was used to close the doors after the car was empty.
ALONG THE ET&WNC VOLUME VI: Passenger cars
Volume VI covers the passenger trains of the narrow gauge that were remembered fondly by all who ever rode them. When the line first opened, the swaying coaches and combines were the only way to get around in the fastness of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Many made their first forays into the outside world aboard the trains nicknamed the "Stemwinder", or "the Narrow Gauge". Since passengers were the main commodity, the people in the area took great interest in anything that happened on the train.
The newspapers of the area were quick to capitalize on this curiosity, and events were recorded in the paper for future generations to read. Many of the stories in this volume have not been told in a century. This volume also examines the rise and fall of the fortunes of the passenger industry on the narrow gauge, using Company and Government records to explain when things changed. Finally, every passenger car owned by the railroad is discussed in detail, as well as ways to model these cars in small scale.
Volume 6 covers all the passenger equipment of the road, even this ancient baggage car pulled on a train through the Doe River Gorge.
As the railroad grew, so did the quality of the passenger cars, as evidenced by this train, along with the parlor car, "Azelea.".
Some of the more famous photos of the railroad, such as the cow-crossing, were actually staged, as evidenced by this seldom-seen photograph from the NC Archives. This photo was made to recreate the scene from the short film "Tennessee Tweetsie".
Passenger equipment was not only lettered for the ET&WNC, but for the Linville River Railway subsidiary as well. Here coach 4, formerly of the Lancaster & Chester in South Carolina, sits with one of the open air excursion cars in Johnson City.
One of the highlights of the book is the rare photographs that have seldom been published before. Not only are outside details documented, but so are the interior details of many of the coaches and combines.