In the video getting permission in from Mary Lee, can you find the route we took into Receiving track 6? Hint....Mary Lee 388.5, #2 Main (Right Main on graph), in first switch to the right, down Long 9, into #6R (Receiving). Piece of cake.
Jerry: Great to see you back at work and furnishing us more modeling ideas. That is some sorry looking trackwork in photos 1,2,4 and 5. Is that your home base? The others show very well maintained track. Thanks for all the photos, movies and drawings!! Regards Al
Man, thanks for the maps. Being able to follow your routing on the maps is fascinating. I viewed the first video again and traced your route from #2 Main onto 6R and it gave the video much more meaning. Also, I enjoyed following your route outbound from AX to Mary Lee past Jefferson Warrior, north wye, south wye, and the various signal bridges. (I'm one of those nuts who reads maps like most folks read novels....oh well, everybody has to be somewhere.:tb-wacky However, I need your help.....I've been through that area many times on Amtrak 19 & 20, but I can't orient myself as to Amtrak's route and the location of B'Ham station. I believe 19 & 20 run on NS tracks, but do NS and CSX enjoy joint usage through this area, or are the NS tracks not shown? Also, how did the short-lived Amtrak train which came up from Mobile on CSX arrive and get through all that confusion to the B'Ham station? BTW, do you guys ever use binoculars to read distant signal aspects? Sure sounded like you and your conductor were really scratching your heads around Mary Lee...:tb-confused:
Amtrak does come in on the NS, and if you look on this map, you can see how the NS and CSX tracks come together at the passenger station at the bottom of the graph. My railroad exits at the top at the 5th Ave switch, takes the 'Belt' Line, crosses the NS tracks, and heads north to Gadsden. (Seen at the top right of the graph.) I am not sure of the short lived Amtrak from Mobile. That would have been before my time here.
The new signal bridges at FY and Mary Lee when viewed from the Mains look like they are one bridge till you get about 500ft from the FY bridge. No binoculars, but I am sure they wouldn't hurt. My Conductor that bid and won this job hasn't been in Boyles Yard in 8 months, and of course myself, over a year and a half. The signals are completely different then the last time I was in and out of Boyles.
Thanks Al! All these photos are on CSX trackage. My 'home' base is Gadsden, and I get driven down to Birmingham from there to get on the train and bring it back to Gadsden.
OK, that clears it up. I now remember leaving the station, heading north, with CSX bearing off to the left, then crossing the "Belt". Isn't there a rusting blast furnace between the CSX and "Belt" crossing, or is it north of the "Belt" crossing? What is your railroad? I know you've told us, but my memory isn't what it used to be. I see the "Belt" is labled as CSX so I assume you have trackage rights until you get to your home rails which must be off the map to the upper right.
Yes, the furnace is the famous 'SLOSS' furnace. 'Our' railroad, the Alabama and Tennessee River, trackage starts about where the map says 'To Gadsden'. (About a 90 mile run.)
Here's a look from 'our' railroad at Sloss, while waiting to get the signal to cross the NS on the 'Belt' Line.
Thanks Jerry......:thumbs_up: I looked at Boyles Terminal on Google Maps and your maps made locating the area much easier. I didn't realize that Boyles Terminal was so large. Your maps listed the MPs, but I didn't have a sense of its size until I looked at the satellite image. You could go dead on the clock just going from end to the other. :tb-biggrin:
Nit picking --- The map of Boyles Terminal page six shows 1st ave.( hwy 11) running due north(and south). Google Earth shows it to be ENE and the opposite. Which is correct? Al
I looked at Google Maps, and it does appear to be coming in at an angle. I would go with the Google maps.
Jerry, maybe the maps are showing railroad north, not compass north? For instance the CSX (ex-L&N) tracks from New Orleans to Mobile head compass east, but are shown as "Northbound" in the employee timetable because L&N labled this area with respect to Louisville. I think that's also true with NS (ex-Southern) from New Orleans to Atlanta, which may be why map #6 is showing NS as "Northbound" even though it actually runs compass east/west through town. Out of curiosity how does the A&TR define direction? It runs east out of B'Ham, swings north towards Gadsden, then runs due north to Guntersville?
Yes, your correct Hank.....the CSX maps are by railroad direction. ATN also uses North/South for movements. Gadsden to Birmingham runs are all Southbound moves, and Birmingham to Gadsden are Northbound. (However, when we get on the CSX, we go by their Timetable direction, so we actually make a NB and SB move for each trip.)
You gotta love RR logic. At NJT,most runs are north & south by compass. Yet,they're called east & west. Except the Atlantic City-Philly run. Its runs dead east & west. Almost no curves. But in RR logic,its north & south. Go figure.:tb-wacky::tb-confused:
