Getting an early start, as tomorrow will be a busy day for me. We'll fire up the wayback machine for this episode. In 2004, coal loads meet at Rollins: Also in 2004, eastbound tonnage rolls past Dale, WY on Sherman Hill: And finally, also in 2004, DMVW southbound wayfreight creeps down the grade thru Custer, ND enroute to Bismarck:
CP 6591, MLW S-3, Smiths Falls, August 2013: Nice little depot with the semaphores. I blanked out a large and ugly communications tower in the background - not very appropriate in such a photo! And that S-3 is in operable condition! Can't believe it's been ten years already.
Had to look for a pic with a little snow for this week. Maybe this one from Scranton PA in Feb 2007 will work?
This one is somewhat old news as I've been without a computer for a couple of weeks, but here it is. While the elevator here has apparently not been shipping corn by rail this fall, (Don't know why that is) Huron and Eastern is still providing regular service to drop empties and pick up loads of biodiesel. Here, GP40-2lw 3036 and GP38-2 2144 are hauling a loaded tank car up the elevator siding, which rejoins the main a half mile or so west of town, Since it took them a while to thread their way along the siding, I was able to run ahead and catch the two units five miles west at the old Clifford elevator. Although 2144 was obscured by a tree I still kind of liked this photo.
From a snowy 03/09/1995 at Oakvale, WV when coal was still king on the former N&W. That's the former VGN main on the trestle at right. The N&W acquired the VGN in 1959.
If you have coal loads heading one way and other coal loads heading the opposite way, it sounds like I magically became dispatcher...
Hello Everyone New York New Jersey Rail Since freight trains are not allowed in Amtrak's North River Tunnels, and the Poughkeepsie Bridge was closed in 1974, the ferry is the only freight crossing of the Hudson River south of the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge, 140 miles (230 km) to the north of New York City, in a process known as the Selkirk hurdle. It is the last remaining car float operation in the Port of New York and New Jersey. 65th Street Rail Yard Brooklyn, NYC Have a Merry Christmas
I've forgotten the details, but the VGN had a more favorable grade for loads moving to tidewater, so the N&W preferred the former VGN for the tonnage and its own route for empties moving west. I've not stayed current on things, but as far as I know, both routes still remain intact, though 150 miles of the VGN in eastern VA between Abilene and Norfolk was removed years ago. There wasn't much of any business on the VGN there it and this portion of the state is relatively flat.