RGX IV

August 2 & August 9, 2020

Manville - Spring

In late July, my buddy Brian Jansky sent an email listing a large amount of railroad items being sold by longtime-railfan Ben Harris. The list included a couple of railcars. My first thought was  (sarcastically) "wouldn't that be nice..."

I made plans to call Mr. Harris to ask about the cars, but then forgot. Another buddy, Blake Bogs, prodded me to inquire about the cars, so I did. To my utter astonishment, Mr. Harris wanted only $500 for both. This was simply too good to pass on. So, I called Everett Lueck to discuss this and he agreed I should get them. So, that weekend we made the run down to Manvel, Texas to take a look.

I knew immediately that I was buying them. Both cars are Fairmont MT-19's and previously owned by Southern Pacific. Future research will confirm this or shed light on their true origin.

I also bought a locomotive oil can (I've always wanted one), a switch stand, a set of really nice crossbucks, and a lantern for the switch stand for a very moderate price. This amounted to a "gift" from Ben and in return, I promised him that the cars will be lovingly restored and well cared for. They'll bring a lot of happiness to a lot of people for a lot of years.

The next issue was how to move these beasts. I reached out to yet another friend, Don Davis, to borrow his flatbed trailer. Thank you, Don!

The following weekend, Everett, Noah, and I made the trek back down to Manvel to collect the equipment. Everett purchased the remaining 2 switch stands and crossbucks for use on the Red River & Gulf Railroad in Long Leaf, LA. The 100º heat made this task more difficult than it needed to be, but we got it done. The long drive back up to Spring gave us a chance to cool off and recoup. The unloading was far smoother and the cars are now safely tucked into my garage awaiting the day that I begin work. I've got to finish rebuilding 450' of picket fence around my property and then build Noah a tree house. When those projects have been checked off my list, I'll be able to start on the cars.

I'm only keeping one of the cars. The other will be sold to some friends in Dallas, Casey & Cody Akin (brothers).

Over the coming months, while I'm clearing my project list, I'll join NARCOA (North American Rail Car Operators Association) and learn what I need to know to restore and maintain the engine. This is a bit outside my wheelhouse, but I'm confident I can tackle it. Eventually, I expect to have a fully restored and operational car (in Rio Grande paint) to use on NARCOA trips. Good times are a'coming'! 

A big thanks to Everett for helping me with this. And, to Don for allowing me to borrow the trailer.

Sunday, August 2

Noah checks out what will become RGX IV

Noah inspects the 2nd car while Ben Harris looks on.

Father & son pose with a future father/son project.

Noah's first car will have flanged wheels!

Sunday, August 9

Loading the cars the following weekend.

Back in Spring

Preparing to unload

They came down much faster and far easier than they went up.

One down, one to go.

The cars weigh about 500 lbs but it's not difficult to lift one end at a time. The switch stands are

about 120 lbs, but because they're so awkward, they were much more difficult to handle.

Noah lends a hand.

Down!

Done!

The crew poses for a photo after a job well done.