So I blew it last weekend, was under the weather and forgot to start the thread. Thanks Russ for taking care of business! A hot eastbound Q train rumbles thru CP2030 just before first light. The alpenglow of the first sunrise of the New Year is painted across the sky: This tank car shell is built of a single coil of spiraled steel, and frost highlights the welds:
Yesterday morning (01/18/2024) a little before 6am in Shreveport LA. Turned out fairly well considering how dark it really was.
From 07/11/1998 at Pee Dee, NC, C30-7 7054 leads. This location is on the former SAL main between Hamlet, NC and Atlanta. The backside of a classic SAL signal is seen to the left, equipped with a "doll arm" which once contained a signal with a blue light. These made clear which track the block signal governed.
That's a nice treat to see. I so want to get a decent photo of the CNJ. I've seen it only once, partially visible in an engine terminal.
Sometimes it seems like NS wants to tease me and run heritage units through here at night, or put them on trains that head North or South from Harrisburg.
Haha! I hear you. We don't get very many NS Heritage Units through here and when we do, NS seems to hide them in the yard, plus recent changes like a new yard office and chains across some entrances make it so that you best stay out. Years ago before retirement, I had shipper's access to NS's computer and could locate the HUs with ease. Unfortunately, people leaked their passwords and railfans went wild tracing not only the HUs, but the entire locomotive fleet. After a while, NS took note of this rise and subsequently removed locomotives from shipper inquiries. Here's what I was faced with the last time I saw the CNJ, 02/25/2022. Thank you Mr. Phone Pole.
Speaking of Candy, anyone seen her recently? Yesterday, an eastbound CPKC empty grain train with a block of potash cars rolled past MP 473 in a 2x1 configuration.
