"Streaking Under the Footbridge" Amtrak 8, the eastbound Empire Builder, is late arriving in the Magic City, but wastes no time once it departs, rolling effortlessly under the Great Northern-era footbridge in downtown Minot, ND. Rokinon 14mm, f/4, 91 sec.
Okay all of you handlaid track people, here's your final skills test. This was once the scene in Griffith, IN. I'm not sure what the dollar amounts referenced. I love trains, but I'm not so sure I'd want to be a pedestrian on that sidewalk!
Hmm, I count 7 tracks and 16 diamonds. Well I counted one diamond that I can't see off to the far right.
Wow! Could the dollar amounts be those railroads' share of the cost for the crossings? I would have liked to hear a train go through that nearest C&O line. Doug
SD40-2 number B4205 in Hearne, Texas in 1992. A short lived experiment at the UP of converting cab units into B units by stripping out the cab interiors.
The D&H's President Leonor Loree was a proponent of high pressure steam locomotives and had built a handful of prototypes in the road's Colonie Shops to further studies. The work culminated in 1933 with this bizarre looking four cylinder 4-8-0, a joint venture with Alco which produced 500 PSI of steam. It used its steam three times, first to the cylinder under the Engineer's seat which was exhausted to the opposite cylinder under the Fireman's seat and then equally to the two large front low pressure cylinders. None of the designs bore fruit. The D&H's need for higher horsepower steam was eventually met by conventional means. In 1940 Alco delivered the first of 40 4-6-6-4 Challengers to the D&H, locomotives that were beautiful from any angle. With Alco's works being located on line in Schenectady, NY, the D&H was a good Alco customer.
My brother and I spent some time hunting for access to the north east side of the bridge while I was in Iowa. Being a mildly overcast day, the lighting was okay for these shots.
FRA Geometry Train-CP Ottumwa Sub near Muscatine, IA-August 14, 2019 Rest of the day’s catches on the CP— https://blog.buddyburtonphoto.com/2019/08/cp-rail-august-14th.html?spref=fb&m=1 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Each time I visit the Saluda Grade (4.7%) in western NC, it looks worse. It was removed from service by NS in 2001 and nature has reclaimed it with a vengance. I'd hoped to someday hike a portion of the grade with my wife, but the overgrowth has become so dense that it would be extremely difficult. The two photos were taken on Wednesday. The first is at the top of the grade at Saluda and the second at the bottom at Melrose. Having seen the grade in its modern-day prime, these are depressing sights.
A happier sight was found downgrade on the Saluda line north of Spartanburg, SC at Landrum, SC. This portion of the line is out of service as well, but the depot is in good shape and SOU 10-6 Sleeper Pacolet River is on display. She was built in 1949 in a 24-car order to Pullman Standard. The Pacolet River runs through this region, so it's pretty neat that the town was able to secure it. The car is in need of restoration.
The depot at Tryon, NC also survives and is in proper SOU paint colors. This segment of the line is out of service, but as in Landrum, the town keeps the weeds down near the depot. To my right looking upgrade, the overgrowth is underway. You can see a serious derail there, a common sight along the entire line.
