[MV] using the rails

GIjeeps@aol.com
Sat, 22 Aug 1998 21:52:07 EDT

In a message dated 98-08-19 13:41:14 EDT, john@astory.com writes:

<< Things like this make me wonder....Where do all those trains go? I think
all the jeeps in crates are still riding around on the rails- the rail
master is probably looking for the Willys Overland factory to deliver the
stuff to.... >>
Brings up an interesting story. Now this may just another urban myth or jeep
in a crate story but it was told to me by brother. His friend from work had a
brother who worked for the railroad down in Georgia somewhere. I'll try to
make this long story short if I can. His train generally flew through the area
our story is set at about 75 mph but one day had to slow down due to a track
problem. As they crept down the rails one of the crewmen noticed a
disconnected siding that had been grown over by brush and trees. They had
never noticed it before so they called back to the dispatch to see if it was
carried on any charts but no record of it could be found. After thay completed
their run they did some more research on this siding and found that it had
fallen into disuse in 1929. Weeks later this same train had to stop and wait
not far from the spot they had found the old siding so a couple guys struck
out on foot to see where the siding ended. The siding ran three miles back
into deep woods but the eventually made it to the end. There they found three
boxcars still sealed but decaying and overgrown with vines and brush. The
railroad paid for an expedition to pull the three old cars off of the siding
and out into the open. What did they find when the opened them?

Wish I knew.

just kidding

There were alleged to be six, brand new from the factory, Model A Fords in
each boxcar! All the wood and rubber had dried up and been ruined but the
metal was all like new. These cars had been ordered by a dealer who died or
went out of business or whatever before the cars could be delivered. They were
determined to be property of the railroad. They were said to have sold them at
auction several years ago. I was also told that one of the cars was bought by
or donated to the Ford museum in Mich.
Perhaps a lister can find out if this story is or is not true by following up
that lead.

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