May 30, 2014:
I got up at 7:30 am and got dressed I went to the lobby for breakfast. After breakfast, I walked to the Amtrak station.
When I got to the Amtrak station, I photographed a Norfolk Southern light engine movement and Amtrak Piedmont train #73 arriving behind an ex GO F59PH.
I then boarded the shuttle back to the museum. I went to the roundhouse and photograph #611 on the turntable.
Some employees from the “Fire up 611” and Norfolk Southern made a speech and one person unscrewed a nut on the side of #611 officially starting its restoration.
Sorry it’s blurry,
but 611’s restoration has commenced.
I photographed Union Pacific E9 #949 which is part of the railroad's executive fleet.
I then took some more pictures.
Meanwhile, Wabash #1189 was coupled to the front of #611. #1189 towed #611. I photographed the move before I filmed it.
I then visited a hobby store across the street but didn't buy anything. I then walked a couple blocks to where the helicopter was offering flights around the museum. I paid and was given advice to duck as I approached the helicopter from the front when it came for my turn, (There were two others in front of me). When it was my turn, I photographed the helicopter as it came to land.
I crouched as I approached the helicopter. I got in without incident and we took off. I took some pictures from the helicopter.
This was my first time flying in a helicopter! The helicopter made a couple passes before we landed. When I got out, I dropped to all fours since I didn't want to take a chance with the spinning rotor blades. Once I was clear, I took one more photograph of the helicopter.
No other museum I've been to ever offer helicopter rides! This will be hard to top. I walked back to the museum and went for a train ride. Today, the train was headed by Union Pacific #949 and Southern #6900. I photographed the locomotives.
I bought lunch in the heat. It was very hot when I was at Streamliners at Spencer. I'm glad I brought shorts!
After lunch I went to the roundhouse. They were offering cab tours of some of the units including CN #6789. I took some photos.
I took more photos of locomotives outside the roundhouse.
Meanwhile, a parade of units was happening. The Lackawanna units were first. They ran light before they hooked onto a freight train.
Second was Southern #6133.
Next was Wabash #1189.
The Lackawanna F3s pulled past with their freight train. I filmed it as it passed. Next was F7 #722 from the Potomac Eagle train. #722 is painted in Baltimore and Ohio colours.
Next was New Haven FL9 #2019 from a museum in Connecticut.
I photographed the photo freight on the main line as well as SOO #2500 which was next in the parade.
I photographed Pan Am Railway #1 pulling FT demonstrator #103 on the turntable. #103 and its B unit are owned by the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis.
#103 was pushed by the switcher. I photographed #103, Pan Am #1, and Chicago and Northwestern F7 #411 which is from the Illinois Railway Museum. Like the #9911, I photographed it when I went to Chicago in 2012.
The next locomotive in the parade was Norfolk Southern #4271.
I then took a few more photos before I left. I missed the shuttle but decided to take a bus since I knew a route came by, but before a Salisbury Transit bus came, I saw the shuttle which turned around and picked me up and drove me to the Amtrak station.
I saw many railfans standing by the line. I was told the #5809 would be leading the train to Charlotte. I had thought it would be in the morning, but I stuck around. When #5809 came by with its train, I filmed it. I then filmed Amtrak Piedmont train #76. I then caught a Salisbury Transit Orion 7 on route 2. I had a tour of the Salisbury area before I got off a few blocks from my hotel and photographed the bus.
I then walked to a nearby McDonald's for dinner. I then walked back to my hotel. On the way, I photographed the Chick-Fil-A mascot in front of one such restaurant.
Once I got back to my hotel, I logged into the Wi-Fi, watched TV, and worked on this report some more. I eventually set an alarm for 7:15 am and called it a night.
May 31, 2014:
I got up at 7:15 am and got dressed. I went to the lobby for breakfast. One thing to note is today was the Toronto Transportation Society's Windsor Classic charter. This event in Spencer is why I went to Windsor last month.
After breakfast, I walked to the Amtrak station. When I got there, I photographed a couple Norfolk Southern' freights.
I then photographed the Piedmont #73; once again led by an ex GO Transit F59PH.
I then boarded the shuttle and we headed out to the museum again. When I got by the roundhouse, I photographed Amtrak F40PH #406 on the turntable.
I then photographed various units moving around.
CN #6789 would be pulling the photo freight today. I photographed it and filmed it passing a couple times. Like a true Alco, it produced a lot of smoke!
I went inside the main shop area and photographed an airplane in the museum's collection.
I then went on Amtrak's 40th anniversary train and photographed a sign explaining the origin of the names of Amtrak's trains.
I then went to another area of the museum and photographed a bus and other rail equipment including the museum's own ex Amtrak F40PH #307. At one point, I startled a cat.
The #307 doesn’t run. The museum plans to only cosmetically restore it in the future. I took some more photos.
I got lunch and took more photos of the photo freight.
I photographed NKP #190 on the turntable as well as Wabash E8 #1009. #1009 is not operational and was the 10,000th diesel built by General Motors. It is currently owned by the museum which Norfolk and Western #611 was displayed at for the last 20 years.
The passenger train was running again. Today it was handled by New Haven FL9 #2019 and CB&Q #9911. I rode the train and photographed the locomotives.
I then bought lunch. The museum was doing cab tours of SOO #2500, Lackawanna #664, Wabash #1189, and Reading #284 from the United Railroad Historical Society. I went through all four units.
When I went into the #284, I had a chat with someone from the society who owns the unit. They had recently restored GG1 #4877 to its five stripe Brunswick green livery. They are also cosmetically restoring sister #4879 into its single stripe Brunswick green livery.
I then photographed #611 which had been moved to the point of Norfolk Southern's business train which had accompanied the 4270 and 4271.
I then photographed Pennsylvania E8 #5809 and its train which was going to go to Charlotte again.
I got on the shuttle and headed back to Salisbury. I photographed the shuttle when I got to the Amtrak station.
Several railfans and I were waiting for 5809's train to come by. There was a wedding happening at the Salisbury depot. At one point, the wedding played a song I can't stand. We photographed a Norfolk Southern freight train with a BNSF locomotive. I was glad for the train for blocking out most of the song and I wished it was a little longer.
Someone was curious about what was going on and we explained about the special. He wanted to see the train. Some railfans were standing too close and a police officer asked them to move. I later saw another railfan sitting too close and advised him to move. He did.
When #5809 came by, we filmed it racing through. I took one more photo of the last car.
I asked the person who asked about the train what he thought. He said it was cool. I stuck around until #76 came by. I filmed it pulling it and photographed it at the station.
I then made my way to a nearby Wendy's for dinner. I then walked back to my hotel. I went online and worked on this report some more. I set the alarm on my phone for 7:30 am and called it a night.
All good things come to an
end. Click to read about the last day of Streamliners at Spencer: part 4
