Albuquerque window washer

[Southwest Chief]

Does anyone remember the forklift window washer that used to be in Albuquerque, New Mexico?

While I'm too young to have seen it under Santa Fe operation, I fondly remember it being used by Amtrak. This sure was a highlight on the Southwest Chief. Too bad Amtrak stopped using it...sometime in the 1990s I believe.

I kitbashed/scratch built one for my HO layout:

Although I don't model Albuquerque, I thought the window washer would look great with my Walthers Hi-Level cars. To make the washer, I used a Dyna-Model forklift, a car washer part from Stewart Products, a Preiser figure, and odds and ends of styrene, wood, wire, etc...

Here's what the real one looked like:

 

[LoudMusic]

It doesn't fall over? The real one didn't fall over? Is there an invisible leg under it? Does not compute! ;D

 

[ianacole]

Very nice work on that!

 

[Gary B]

Now that is unique!

 

[Burlington Bob]

Now that's a cool model, I like it!

 

[t44florida]

Hehe! Never seen one of those. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rico]

Very cool, now that's a unique model!
I'm guessing by the fact that both the HO and 1/1 operators are looking backwards it must have been operated in reverse.
That and there is little to no visibility thru all that machinery looking ahead!