Nostalgia & History > Hermosa Tunnel, Aug. 1991.

Some head-end views at the west entrance.(B.M.Ernatt Video)

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The 1st box car on the third train is a member of a series of cars built for the Southern RR. It was reffered to as a "Hogs Head" car, for the shipping of leaf tobacco packed in oversize wooden barrels called Hogs Heads. I recall seeing them on the British American Tobacco pier on the west bank of the of the Elizabeth river across from downtown Norfolk and the present location of Norfolk Southern Hdqrts. I believe the cars were developed during the Broseman administration of the Southern. "Southern gives a green light to innovation." Note the unusual cross section of the box car body with the trapazodial shape of the roof with the "port holes" to allow natural light into the interior of this long, for its time period, single door box car.

After tobacco shipping declined, they were often used to ship tires to tires to auto assembly plants, including the plants that were then on the west coast. One car is at the railroad museum at Bramwell, WV

I like the stock cars near the end of the video. Looks like several shelves. For hogs, I presume?

Too bad we couldn't see more of the rolling stock. It was very interesting in those days.