Local passenger train 53 left Cumberland, MD in the wee hours of the morning.
It has stopped at many small milk platforms, picking up loaded 40-quart cans of
raw milk from local dairy farmers. These cans were loaded into two PRR R50B
refrigerator cars. Empty cans from the cars were exchanged for the loaded cans,
so the farmers would have cans to use for the days' milking. Here the train is
arriving in West Valley on the passing siding.
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This photo shows most of the consist of train 53. Behind the locomotive (today a class
E6s 4-4-2) are two empty milk tank cars with glass-lined tanks, the two R50b reefers with
loaded cans of raw milk from the farms and the first of two X29 express boxcars. A single
P70 coach car brings up the rear.
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The train is uncoupled between the reefers and the express boxcars, and the
locomotive pulls the milk tanks and reefers clear of the runaround switch.
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The loaded reefers are temporarily spotted on the runaround track.
Their destination is the inbound milk track.
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The cars get uncoupled here. It looks like the runaround track is barely
long enough for the two reefers... almost like it was designed for them, LOL!
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Next, the locomotive backs to the other end of the runaround track...
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The locomotive enters the runaround track and pushes the reefers into the inbound
milk track.
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Note that this move does not require an operating coupler on the
front of the locomotive.
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With the reefers spotted, the locomotive backs clear of the runaround
escape switch.
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The empty milk tank cars are uncoupled and left on the runaround track.
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The locomotive leaves the runaround track and pulls clear of the switch...
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... before backing up, entering the passing siding and coupling back onto the train.
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After pumping up the air pressure, train 53 leaves the passing siding and heads to
West Valley station.
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Finally, the coach is spotted at the station so passengers may board or exit from the
train. Hey, if they didn't want to wait for all of that switching, they should have
bought a ticket for the Express!
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After train 53 has departed, here is the situation in West Valley.
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