we still had them at norden, on their own line. often used by track crews to report clearing or obstructing the track to the train order operator at norden and the dispatcher in roseville. not every motorcar ('speeder') and gang truck (and most of the gang trucks didn't have hirailers yet either) had the kind of communication radios that by then were universal on the engines and cabooses. also in the hills with their natural shielding of the rocks in the cuttings and all, the uhf fm radio (fm, unlike am, being line of sight) wasn't always reliable in some places, so they still served a very much useful purpose, right up to and through the 1960s and well into the 70s.

(you could bounce the radio off of the repeater on the top of the hill, but that was a separate line that involved patching, and still couldn't be reached from everywhere on the track)

(i seem to recall "my" w&s gradall (which also had hirailers) had the radio, but chief's old 1949 p&h didn't, and i don't think the speedswings did either. i know the burro crane did though)

one thing, (i guess different from my less populated hill, as opposed to the more urban environment on the cal-p), i don't recall ever seeing doors actually on them. all ours had had the doors permanently removed or had never had them to begin with.

I'm sure you're correct. Depending on location I'd wager some never had doors.

very very intresting i never knew this. Thank you for posting this very intresting picture.

Thanks! Glad to do so!

Wow! This is fascinating!
I like when you post stuff out of the ordinary with a good discription behind it! !

I'm pleased you liked it 'The Tyron Electric' :)

I was fixing to say its an out house. lol

Heh, I have no doubt they have been abused in such a fashion.

i just now noticed, there's one of the hexigon shaped ones to the left of #28 on the curve approaching long ravine bridge in that picture (trains we rode) of mine of it.