Just got a KCS ballast train at McHenry, MS heading southbound to Gulfport, MS with KCS 7005 leading and KCS 7002 trailing both engines are 6-axles unit with about 12 cars. This is the first time I have seen 6-axlesthe power on this line. I will try and have the picture up tonight. Aaron
Aha, I heard something blowing for our crossing so raced out, but only saw the tail end heading north out of Saucier. So raced north on Old 49 only to be stopped by a school bus, but finally caught "your" ballast train at the Howison crossing. Of course the engines had swapped ends with 7002 now leading. Though seeing them go through the crossing at 25 mph was sweet. Thanks for the heads up!!!
Sorry for being so late on posting the pictures about this subject. But here are the pictures about that KCS ballast Train that I caught while I was in Mississippi. Enjoy Picture 1: http://csxboy187.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3217557 Picture 2: http://csxboy187.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3217558 Picture 3: http://csxboy187.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3217559
Those ballast cars sure are in nice condition. Really clean. I'm used to seeing such items beat up and filthy.
Aaron, nice photos. I don't recognize the location, but that's not surprising because there are so many rural crossings in the area. It's nice to see six-axle equipment on the Branch, even if they are 27 year old SD-50s. I've been told that we'll see more and modern six-axles when the Branch is certified Class-IV next year and container traffic increases with the completion of Port expansion Phase-I in 2014. The next time you visit your grandparents, take a run down to Gulfport and visit the KCS engine terminal area. It's next to 25th Avenue (Hwy 49) just south of Auto Zone. You can stay on public property by parking at Auto Zone and walking a few feet down 25th Ave., where the whole area will be visible for photos. Unless schedules change drastically, most engines will be at the terminal all day Sunday, late afternoons Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and early mornings Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Also, if you are lucky, you might see some CSX equipment from either New Orleans or Mobile interchanging with KCS. The CSX locals used to interchange mid-afternoons before Katrina, but that may have changed in the last five years since we moved to Saucier.
I shot that KCS Ballast Train at Glenn Lott Rd in Stone County. If you drive north on old Hwy 49 you will see the sign saying Entering Stone County then about a mile you will see Glenn Lott Rd on your right its the first crossing in Stone County. I did make a few trips in the evening hours to check out the yard there and did find a few engines of KCS just sitting there but never did find any CSX engines in the yard. Here are a few pictures I shot of the yard and some KCS engines. Enjoy Picture 1. http://csxboy187.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3215721 Picture 2. http://csxboy187.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3215723 Picture 3. This was coming into the yard http://csxboy187.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3215726 Picture 4. http://csxboy187.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3216812 Picture 5. http://csxboy187.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3216813 Picture 6. http://csxboy187.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3216816
Hmmm. I was able to view that caboose photo, but those other five URLs seem rather balky. Is the linked site having some slows tonight?
That's odd im testing the links right now and they are working on my end but my internet is slow to load the URLs up. Im thinking the internet might be messing up tonight.
OK. Just tried again. This time the second link hesitated, then loaded and the others were fine. Must be the 'Net tonight.
Nice photos Aaron. The Mid-South (ex-IC) caboose is required for backing moves on the 5 mile Industrial Seaway line, also possibly for the 14 miles to the DuPont Titanium Dioxide plant in DeLisle, though I can't swear to that. CSX interchanges were during the day before Katrina, generally mid-afternoon. Also the CSX locals didn't stick around for long, unless they had to wait for a through freight to pass GPT. Ken, Aaron's photo links are fine this morning. Maybe the rrpicturesarchive server was having a bad day....?
That track definitely is not on the Branch mainline because that now is all 115# CWR between Gulfport and Hattiesburg. Looking at the scenery, it could be at the Hattiesburg yard. The track in the Gulfport yard also looks that bad because it's all 75# rail. I was told that the plan is to take all the old 95# jointed rail removed during the mainline upgrade and use it to replace the 75# rail in the yards.
