| Posted by rob216 on November 15, 2007 | |
I'm sure it was a very nervous crew working the train that day.
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Are they going to test a new propulsion system for freight trains?!
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great catch. those are unarmed missle tubes.
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Those aren't bombs or missle tubes, they are external fuel tanks for fighter planes.
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Good eye cavranger. Great catch JL: interesting load, and an ancient flatcar. Look at the journal boxes! (although I'm sure they're now converted)
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My Dad says you're all wrong, and that it's actually a load of atomic bombs! When I was a little kid he used to tell me that when this shot popped up in our slide shows. I've always liked this shot. Dad spotted this car in a passing train and decided he needed to shoot it on the fly when he saw what it was.
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Now we know where Lionel gets their ideas for flat car loads. Neat pic.
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Actually, they look like drop tanks for the A-6 Intruder.
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Correction to my last, the KA-6D Intruder Tanker.
http://www.cojeco.cz/attach/photos/3a1155282f789.jpg
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Yes, definitely drop tanks -- absolutely not atomic weapons, which would never be moved this way.
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It's a joke. Think about it.
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I have come across this photo just recently and I must say you are all wrong. These were practice bombs for the Air Force Academy Flight Training School. They were mounted on the student planes and then the student pilots would make a simulated approach on a target at the Bomb range. These were dropped off the planes during the target practice run, and they would "explode" with an orange/red powder to allow all the spotters the determine the accuracy of the student pilot to the target. No they were not drop tanks, nor were they nuclear bombs, these were practice bombs. Student Pilots were not given "live bombs" until they passed several long weeks of flight school training and several long weeks of testing and psychological exams to determine if they were mentally, and emotionally stable enough to even graduate as a pilot throughout the duration of flight school. Once they passed everything to qualify and graduate flight school, the last two weeks leading up to graduation would be the "live bombs" flights. The stack on this flat car are the "student bomber" rounds.
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