"Enjoying a Cigar in Front of the Boxcar"
On the evening of October 7th, 2021, a father is seen enjoying a cigar on the bed of his Ram pickup while watching his son at football practice as Conrail boxcar #243880 sits in the background at Eckels Field in Shippensburg, PA.
Conrail 243880 is one of 154 "X67-class" boxcars built by Penn Central’s Sam Rea Shops in Hollidaysburg, PA during the 1970s. These 86-foot long cars were the only cars of this size built by a railroad (not by a railcar manufacturer) and were designed specifically for transporting large auto parts. The car served Penn Central, Conrail and CSX prior to its donation to the Conrail Historical Society (CRHS) after it's retirement in 2020. The CRHS plans to turn the car into a state-of-the-art 10,500 cubic foot Conrail museum and archive once it is moved to its final resting place just 300ft across the field on a track panel adjacent to the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail.