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Seen through a 200mm telephoto, Amtrak 78 splits the signals at 60 mph at CSX milepost 162.1 with Train 80. This is on the joint double track shared by CSX and NS; the train is on NS trackage, the other track is CSX. |
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Standing in about the same spot as the photo above but facing in the other direction I shot a Norfolk Southern 'Darth Vader' D40-9CW leading Train 349 west out of Raleigh. This train is not moving fast as most of it is still stretched out on the upgrade from Boylan. |
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At Weldon NC, CSX 6221 heads Train Q400 out onto the trestle and bridge over the Roanoke River. This is on the old Atlantic Coast Line main line. |
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A repainted Conrail SD60M, CSX 8781 has stopped on the old Seaboard Air Line west of the station at Hamlet NC with Train Q196. They will change crews at the station, then proceed east to Pembroke NC then turn north up the old Atlantic Coast Line. |
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Stopped on the joint trackage with Train 352, Norfolk Southern 6678's crew has exceeded the hours of duty law and stopped the train near the Nowell Road crossing. A new crew will be brought out to take the train into Glenwood Yard. |
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Just north of Bradford PA I caught a southbound train on the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad. This is the old Baltimore & Ohio route to Buffalo NY. The lighting's not great in this shot but hey, I'll take it. |
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Moving under Hillsborough St and through Southern Junction is NS-renumbered SD40-2 with Train 26. The train is now on CSX trackage but only for a few hundred yards; it will traverse the wye track at Boylan and head east on the old Southern main. The track to the left is the mainline of the old (grey) Norfolk Southern which bears off to the right while the CSX trackage goes straight and then makes the hard turn at Boylan and crosses over the old NS main. |
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It's not unusual for a locomotive or even entire consists to stay on the same assignment for several days at a time. Here's 3411 again, this time taking Train 349 west to Linwood Yard. This photo and the one of NS 9288 above were shot with a fairly ancient Nippon Kogaku 105mm/f2.5 lens. |
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During a business trip to Boston in July 2000, I hooked up with a friend who works for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. He gave me a great tour throught the "T"s engine facilities at Somerville MA, right across the Charles River from Boston. Thanks again, J! |
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Part of the tour included a trip down to Tower A by the lift bridges over the river coming out of North Station. This area is severely off limits, so it was a great chance to see the place where we've seen so many photos of B&M and MEC trains over the years. |
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Firecracker antennae and air horns notwithstanding, NS 3519, a B30-7A, is showing off the clean lines of a pre -8/9 locomotive, takes Train 26 toward the wye and on to Goldsboro NC. |
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Running about 2 hours late, Amtrak Train 92 "The Silver Star" is making an unscheduled stop at Cary. To the right is the NS trackage where, shortly, Amtrak's Piedmont will pull in. Normally 92 doesn't stop in Cary, but when very late does stop to allow passengers to connect to The Piedmont. Normally this connection is made 10 miles east in Raleigh, but since Raleigh is a single track station and can't take both trains simultaneously, the connection is made here today. |
More photos here on page six.
