An ancient Ford pick-up in the employee parking lot at International Paper is having a reunion of sorts with some steam-era boxcars. They’re running out their last revenue miles performing the inglorious task of hauling woodchips from central and northern Ontario to North Tonawanda.
The employees apparently have great faith in the track work within the plant. That shiny new Gremlin could easily be taken out if the spindly rail and rotten roadbed gives way. Or maybe the regretful owner is counting a calamity so he can replace his lemon on the company dime.
At the other end of the property, and the other end of the spectrum, a pair of Precision Design boxcars will be spotted at the warehouse for loading with fine writing paper.
More elements of my paper plant are coming together. My small fleet of ramshackle steam-era boxcars in woodchip service is just about finished. I’ve collected a few modern boxcars for moving the finished product off of the property (including a small fleet of the ubiquitous X-58). The first vehicles have shown up on my layout: a pair of fresh cherries, a mystery brand Ford pickup, and a Reimer tractor-trailer.