Work trains

There is no set work train consist.  It really depends on what kind of equipment is needed for a specific task.

Rusty

Might a tank car be included in a work consist?

There have been offerings, both MTH and Weaver.  Here are a few.

Has any O gauge, 3 rail model of a Jordan spreader or flanger ever been  made??  CSX was running one the other day and looked neat but looked hard to model.  I think out west they put a blade under an old car sometimes. Any ideas ???

Yes, a tank car could be in a work train consist. Usually it would be for water to supply a steam-powered crane or for fire fighting. I suppose a tank car was occasionally used for fuel as well, if the work train was away from its "base" for an extended time. 

Jim, MTH has offered a Jordan spreader in several road names. 

Here are some pics of my B & O Jordan spreader by MTH.  

A few thoughts about "work trains":

1) What time frame/era do you want to model? Steam era, early diesel era, or modern era?

2) Do you want your "work train" to be the large derrick/wrecker consist, with support cars for the derrick? Such as boom car, flat cars with ties & rail pieces and spare trucks, tank car with potable water for the workers, lunch/dinner car, bunk car/cars, and caboose.

3) Do want a track maintenance/repair "work train". with those associated cars?

4) How about a snow plow "work train" with appropriate support cars?

Here is a picture of a derrick/wreck train.  I put together one similar to this for my layout, but the cars (except the boom car) are yellow.  I need to paint them grey to be correct for my steam era.

Here are a couple pics of work trains.

I have the MTH yellow PRR train 

These are cool!  I have a Jordan spreader that MTH made around 2000.  Should make up a work train!

Here's a snow plow extra doing a practice run in early fall ...  A rotary leads the consist, followed by a diesel B unit which powers the rotary's electric motors, two GP9 locomotives, a combine tool/meal car, followed by a Jordan spreader ( facing backwards ) which will push snow off the tracks, widens the path, as the consist will run in reverse for the return trip.

I was thinking late steam, track maintenance/repair on an eastern road.

Tom McGriel posted:

I was thinking late steam, track maintenance/repair on an eastern road.

Well that narrows things down quite a bit.

Our work train, it varies from month to month.  John in Lansing, ILL