Mission 2027
For decades, the site admin has sought answers to questions to which there was no satisfactory answer, if at all. Clearly they were too obscure or specific, and couldn’t be located through traditional means. This site exists to break that barrier through the open sharing of data, historical imagery, and foundational research. This site is to serve as a digital repository of these, much of which has never existed on the internet, been published, nor compiled. We don’t own history and believe it shouldn’t be locked away or lost with the fallen. All we politely request is clear attribution to this site so that others may enter the rabbit hole, with perhaps something of value to share. We don’t claim ownership or copyright over anything except the site itself. It is independently managed, non-profit, and content is for non-commercial use only.
Status
Perhaps it’s an axiom that you’re viewing a work-in-progress. As the Internet has evolved over the decades (yes, you’re getting old), we’ve had to transition to new platforms and modernize the UX several times, so expect idiosyncrasies. We have carloads of material to unload and synthesize too.
Our history
This site traces its origins to the lackluster Alco Locomotive Site, established on April 25, 2003. Data collection and development began in early 2001 using Star Office 5.2. The Drill Track is the modern manifestation of this and other ongoing but not necessarily related niche projects, hence the name.
Contributors
We express sincere gratitude to those whom without their assistance, this site would not be possible: Katherine Bell, Sam Berliner III, Jerry Bosanek, Jay Brown, Rogerio Cordeiro, Tim Darnell, Bill Den Beste, Sergio Escobar, Peter Finch (D), Jeremy Lambert, Christine L., Stan Lytle (D), Sheldon Perry, Mark Todd, Joseph Wessel, John Witthaus, and many others who wished to remain mysterious, whose name we didn’t snatch, or have been lost to Internet dynamics.