Here is my end of year update.
MBTX 13360 has been painted in the cut yard. That is 6 out of 13 gondolas painted so far. Here are some authorized close ups of the fresh paint
MBTX 53 has been put back into service after its repaint. (I posted a photo to this thread on March 25) Of interesting note, 53 is the only one of the ex-DODX flat cars to have new wood beams put on top as part of the painting process. Given the age of these cars, the wood on top has been splintering and rotting away for years. As these flat cars are cycled through this recent work train painting process, the ones with the wood in the worst condition will also receive new wooden cross beams. Only downside to this is, before the car is safe to move, the wood will need to go through an extensive settling process throughout one Winter and Summer season with excessive weight applied on top. 53 finished the settling process in the Cut Yard this September and was cut into the work train flat consist soon after.
Here is 53 with the fresh new wood
MBTX 56, 57, & 58 are next to be painted. They are spotted in the cut yard spaced out. These are all Ex-DODX flats. Of note, 57 still has the old DODX green on it but that will soon be a memory. These 3 flats will be painted in the spring, and given the wood condition on all 3 of them, I wouldn’t be surprised if they get new wood beams like 53. Provided are pictures of all 3 cars in preparation for paint as well as a drone shot that gives a glimpse of the wood deck condition.
Have a safe new year and please remember not to attempt to get close up to these cars without expressed permission and supervision. I share these photos for documentation purposes and hope that those viewing are able to understand that. Work train cars especially are unpredictable in terms of movement and integrity.