Scratch & Bash
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Engines / Rolling Stock
Making of the LSOL.com container cars for the World's Longest Train
Mar 11, 2009
By Scott Suleski |
Author
Bio
Suleski Transportation was intrigued by the attempt for the world's longest train that was being put on by Rick the Railroad Guy on the Dynamite, Rio Verde & Eastern Railroad in Scottsdale, AZ. Always willing to help out, Suleski Transportation sent down two five car intermodal sets to add to the length of the train. We then got contacted by Jon DeKeles of the B.I.G.D. Railroad in Post Falls, ID. It seems Jon was sending down a bunch of well car sets and wanted to have 50 containers lettered for his business, LSOL.com.
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Suleski Transportation was intrigued by the attempt for the world's longest train that was being put on by Rick the Railroad Guy on the Dynamite, Rio Verde & Eastern Railroad in Scottsdale, AZ. Always willing to help out, Suleski Transportation sent down two five car intermodal sets to add to the length of the train. We then got contacted by Jon DeKeles of the B.I.G.D. Railroad in Post Falls, ID. It seems Jon was sending down a bunch of well car sets and wanted to have 50 containers lettered for his business, LSOL.com. Arrangements were made for Suleski Transportation's president to travel to Charles Ro Supply in Malden, MA and survey the tracks to see if the containers could be picked up by rail. Traveling in one of our unmarked Ford Taurus sedans Scott arrived in Malden. (Now I know you may be wondering why the president of Suleski Transportation is traveling in a Ford Taurus. Well we do have lots of equipment purchased by federal grants, but we do not squander it on luxury vehicles or limos - It all goes to servicing our customers and keeping the railroad secure.)  Upon inspection of the track it was noticeable that the siding hadn't seen rail service in over twenty years. 
When Scott got back and discussed his finding with the rest of the Suleski Transportation officers it was decided to try the siding with one of our lighter switcher engines and taking the containers out in a few single well cars rather than trying to take them out all at once. There was some thought to adding folding buzz saws for cutting brush to the front of the engine like Speed Racers Mach 5 had, but a few MOW crew men with chain saws was an easier solution. As the switcher made runs back and forth the containers were brought into the Suleski Transportation painting facility.  As yard crews stacked the brand new containers, members of the paint and graphics department checked out the layout of the lettering on the container. Since the LSOL.Com was for advertising it was decided to use vinyl graphics on the containers rather than paint in case future owners wanted to remove them.  Jason Suleski, son of the president, is shown here applying the graphics on the first car.
 Doug Daley and Scott Angus are also members of the paint and graphics crew working on this project.  Here Ross Suleski pulls back the masking while Jason and Doug make sure the lettering stays down on the rivets.  The container to be lettered was placed in the middle of the floor so both sides could be worked on without moving it. After it was lettered the yard crew lifted the lettered container and stacked it off to the right. A new blank container was quickly put in its place to be lettered.
 Soon the lettered cars started to outnumber the blank white ones. It was starting to look like this job was going to get done.  It was easier to letter the containers on the ground than when we letter trailers because we didn't have to stand on scaffolding.
 This photo was taken from the cat walks looking down into the Paint and Graphics department.  It was a pretty amazing sight seeing all those LSOL.com containers when they were loaded up and sent on their way to Arizona.
Now without imagination in the story the process of this project can look very different.  Here is a box of containers from Charles Ro Supply. I had four boxes of these to unwrap, letter and then rewrap and ship.  Every time you apply the vinyl letters you are left with the wax paper backing.  Soon they start piling up.
 I actually did this project in my living room while watching a movie on TV.  Also as the wax paper backing piled up so did the lettered containers.  Here you can see my wife fell asleep because the movie wasn't a chick flick, actually she was pretty tired after a long week as a Jr. High Teacher. It was a good thing because the pile of lettered containers in front of her blocked the TV anyway. All of us at Suleski Transportation are hoping that Rick can pull this venture off.
| Great |
| The story was great. I assume that your wife doesn't know her picture is on the Web. |
| Peter De Keles - 03/11/2009 - 05:03 |
| Suleski Transportation Does It Again |
| Scott, A most interesting story. Very enjoyable to read and view the pictures of the project. Well done! Another quality project completed by the Suleski shop crew. |
| JD Miller - 03/11/2009 - 06:03 |
| Worlds Longest Train Run |
| I have one five car set and containers sent to Rick for the run. Lets git it done this weekend. See you all at the ECLSTS |
| John Wiarda - 03/11/2009 - 09:25 |
| Reply |
| Lucky for me Peter she doesn't visit this site. Scott |
| Scott Suleski - 03/11/2009 - 09:44 |
| 25th Anniversary in Jeopardy |
| Scott and I would have been married for 25 years this August. Now that he has posted this most unflattering picture of me I have to question his committment!?! |
| Noreen Suleski - 03/11/2009 - 19:46 |
| grovel |
| grovel Pronunciation: \ˈgr?-vəl, 1: to creep with the face to the ground : crawl 2 to lie or creep with the body prostrate in token of subservience or abasement b: to abase oneself. |
| Peter De Keles - 03/11/2009 - 20:20 |
| Just too funny |
| I love your imagination those pictures and the story are just too funny! Keep em coming. |
| Gerald Madsen - 03/12/2009 - 00:53 |
| Container Loader |
| Rick, I would VERY much like to know where you acquired the red container loader pictured on the LSOL front page dealing with the longest train article? I have been searching for a model of that size for a long time! |
| Wesley drummond - 03/12/2009 - 20:08 |
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