Covered Wagons Part 1, 1978 North American Survey

The ranks were thinning rapidly! During 1978, classic EMD and ALCO cab units were being replaced by second generation models on passenger and freight roads. Chris Skow – a conductor with WP at the time – put some 25,000 miles on his car over a series of trips to film some of the final regular assignments of E8s, F7s, FAs and even the PAs on their commuter duties out of Boston. This roundup of “wagons” covers some 50 lines with even more color schemes. Sound Super 8 film, together with Chris’ narration, depict a time of transition. Some classics pictured would shortly meet the cutting torch, while a select few would be rebuilt to serve decades more, as chronicled in Volume Two. So, let’s go trackside, 1978, taking in air horns of all types, now-vanished railroads, and vistas of great diesel designs. Photo: Chris Skow