Andre;
The EPA is coming to inspect the A&O. I got all them drums stashed but I cain't hid those two box cars down on the river bank coming into Grandview. Please advise soonest. I bet ole Coonskin knows somthing about this.l

Drums: Yup, you need to get yer hind end out there and clean up if the EPA is comin' to town.

Rolling stock: The BN stacked up some cars over by Grandview a few years before the A&M took over the A&O Sub. Like most railroads "back then", they'd retrieve what they could... and let the rest lay if it was too impractical to remove. Those two cars took quite a tumble all the way down to edge of the woods... and getting them back up the hillside was simply not in the cards... so there they lay!

Factual: In the last years of the Rock Island railroad, they too, stacked up several right smack in the middle of the small town I lived in at the time: Howe, OK. Many of the cars, trucks, wheels laid there for years. It wasn't until AFTER the Rock Island ceased business that a scrapping company was contracted to remove the mess. The cars made for a rather interesting "conversational piece" for the town's decor.

Andre

If you've ever run the Northwest Pacific route you'll know that there is a wrecked car down the bank every couple of miles the whole length of the Eel River. Two cars I hardly noticed.

Shoot - I've been inspecting the A&O for workin' on 2 weeks now. Since I've been getting my paycheck from EPA for some years now, I'll be glad to do the "official" inspection. I ain't seen nuthin' funny 'Course, I've been staying pretty busy just tryin' to keep 'er on the iron.

I figure them drums are full of water - rust ain't on the list of bad stuff. And I know Andre wouldn't put bad stuff in 'em if they're sittin' in the creek. As far as the hoppers at the bottom of the hill - shoot, from the cab, they look like they're fulla grain, and there's not a thing illegal about that.

The only problem area I "see" is when I'm doin' my view 2 fly-bys and can't see them Alcos for all the smoke! But, what the heck - that's a different part of EPA, so I'll let things be.

My official inspection report - keep 'em rollin'!