Whatzit?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Mill slag?

Close.
Coal.
Case closed. Thanx for playing.

Sorta like full hopper cars, ain't it!

Yes, sir! That's why I was waiting for your reply to my posting, "Are you certain?" with this smile: ; plus the photo showing the corner structure of one of the cars to underscore your deduction. I was anticipating you might then have added, (full of) "coal."

[E7]

I didn't know how to spell KOAL!

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I didn't know how to spell KOAL!

Yeabut, you still knew the mounds were in RR-cars, even before I showed that corner, which was insightful. Cool.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

OK, fellow denizens, here's another version of Whatzit…
What story(ies) do you see here?

[rogruth]

Where were those photos taken?
Looks like catenary above the cars.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

OK, fellow denizens, here's another version of Whatzit…
What story(ies) do you see here?

You work for the railroad, Grampa?
I work for no man.
Got a name, do you?
I have no name.

[E7]

Piece a cake: That's the view from Roger's front porch...he just went inside to get a cup of coffee!

PS: Looks like caNtenary to me...as in I can't see ANY wires.

[rogruth]

I don't drink coffee and that scene is from the other end of the state.
However, unles you are in the mountains, the whole state except for the coast looks the same.
Of course that is just my opinion and we didn't come to this part of the state for the scenery.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Where were those photos taken?
....

I don't know, Roger. NMP

[E7]

Roger,

All kidding aside, I think your choice of Georgia for retirement was pretty wise, at least regarding the weather. You might get some colder weather than Florida, but you don't see near the amount of really bad stuff. I've never stopped there, but I drove across the state a couple of times, and what I saw looked pretty decent. I fear that I am stuck in the cold until I expire!

The southern states along and near the gulf coast (other than Florida) are the only paer of the eastern US that I have not seen much of.

I met a couple guys from down that way at a Telco equipment school (Cairo was one place and I don't recall the other) and they thought there was no place better!

There is something about that photo that is appealing.....Lack of SNOW maybe???

[webenda]

OK, fellow denizens, here's another version of Whatzit…
What story(ies) do you see here?

That is Southern Georgia in the photo.

The image tells a story of the Pidcock family's sense of humor when they acquired the failed Boston and Albany Railroad in 1894 and renamed it the Georgia Northern.

The Southern Railway acquired the Georgia Northern in 1966. Its long run as the Georgia Northern shows the Pidcock family were better businessmen than the previous owners.

There is something seriously wrong with the coupler height on that Southern boxcar... is it a model?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

[webenda]

Mill slag?

Close.
Coal.
Case closed. Thanx for playing.

"Full hopper cars"--E7 (correct)
"Maybe it is a container of charCOAL"--webenda (close-charCOAL and COAL are carbon.)
"Mill slag?"--John Webster (Not even close-Slag is usually a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide.)
"Coal"--MurphOnMillerAve (A second correct answer from the Judge?)

I call foul!
Murph, you are FIRED!
Now that Murph is fired he is qualified to answer, this Whatzit is declared a tie between E7 and Murph!

[rogruth]

E7,
I/we didn't actually choose this area for retirement. We moved to this area in 1975 partially to get away from northern weather and we taught here for
24 years. that was more than half of my 43 years of full time teaching. Those were followed by 6 more part time and 19 working for a music store.
When we retired from teaching in 1999 we were often asked where we would be moving to. We were 65, had doctors and hospitals we liked in this area.
We also liked our neighborhood mostly because they left us alone. I'm still a "Dam Yankee" as they say around here.
I dislike this time of year when daytime temperatures are only in the 60s and nights in the 40s with a few in the 30s. I don't mind the heat or the humidity. The gnats and mosquitoes get bad some years but they don't last all year.

[chuck]

Photo is before 1969 as the loco was repainted in Southern RR scheme by 1969. It was originally an EMD demo unit built in 1952 or 1953. Not sure when Georgia Northern acquired it. I can't find a reference for the box car. It has roof walks and high ladders which puts in the 50's or 60's. Trucks look like they are Bettendorf?

Area looks to be pretty poor, dirt road, no obvious signage for the rr crossing. House partially visible through the open car door (usually considered an operational no no) is in much better shape than the shack on the left and looks like a single family single story home.

The "road" appears to be heavily traveled possibly by heavy duty trucks.

RR was originally chartered to move lumber. It looks like a stand of timber in the background, upper left. Despite its moniker, line was located in SW Georgia.

Also, it looks like it's winter. No leaves on the trees or the "shrubbery" near the "shack".