NJT is getting rid of their old stuff too. 5 GP40FH-2s have been rebuilt into MP20B-3s. 5 are in Canada on lease to AMT. 1 is stored OOS, probably being used for parts. That leaves only 4 still operating (here in Jersey), but I haven't seen one in a while, I'm not sure what line they're on. Actually, I'm not even sure if they're in the Hoboken or Newark Division.
I'd give the GP40PH-2s (ex-CNJ, they were in Locomotive 2008) only about 2 or 3 years. Sad, they had a long life (this is 41 years) and they are some of my favorite units.
Almost all CIs are gone. However they are all around the country, still rolling on. All comarrows (CIBs) are gone except for the 14 in Canada. There is talk about the CIIIs either getting phased out, hopefully they'll just give them a rebuild, they only came in 1990.
There is a lot of change going on, and there's no way to stop. But stuff gets old and needs to be replaced. Sure, it's sad, but everything has to go sooner or later. But change isn't always bad. Heck, I love seeing the PL42ACs and CVs, they look pretty good.
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That's too bad about the GP40PH-2s... I spent exactly one day railfanning NJT, and these locos were by far my favorite locomotives I saw... The roar of those EMD's accelerating from idle to Run 8 in 15 seconds left a lasting memory in me... I'll remember that for a long time...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz6qUQeatEs
Alec: That's most people's reaction to change. Back when the SD40-2s were introduced, everybody hated them, except for possibly some of the crews... Now an SD40-2 on a mainline train is the highlight of the day for many railfans. It was the same thing with the F units. Change is a part of life, we all hate it sometimes, but it keeps on happening... Soon enough the Dash 9s and AC4000CWs will be a rare sight, and the ES44s and SD70MACs will come eventually as well.
Yeah, things are getting horrible here too. EJ&E is going, going, GONE, Iowa Interstate uses GEVOs for almost everything, and BNSF has been gettimg lamer and lamer every day. Heck BNSF is using wide-nose B40-8Ws for LOCALS here now! UP never uses any older power here anymore and CN is storing everything it seems.
I did manage to catch one more J train during the day, 659 with a light power move. I can't believe that was probably my last real EJ&E train, it is very upsetting to even think about that. Trust me, despite tha rather orange day, this is not a good day seeing a 121 year old railroad that was one of the reasons I started railfanning get taken over by CN. The scanner has been dead since, looks like the J is going to die quietly tonight... Anyway, here was probably the last real EJ&E my camera will ever see... http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1463811
We've all head that change is impossible to prevent, but lets face it, most of the time in railroading changes are for the worse these days. Heck my SD38-2 paradise is being taken away because of it.
Well, that's just my guess based on what I've heard, but nothing official yet. Probably when the dual modes come. And the 2As and 2Bs I think will stay, only the 13 ex-CNJ units will go.
I see that you fixed the title to say Convent STATION
And yes, there's nothing like those EMD engines. Listen to this EMD 710 in a PL42AC.
Of course most railfans will miss the locomotives we all consider interesting, and bring so much diversity to our trips. But maybe this will lead to railfans having to be more creative in their photography skills than ever before, to make the endless amount of GEVOs something impressive to look at.
It sounds corny, but that's what will happen in my opinion. Nobody's going to want to look at that plain old wedgie shot anymore, we'll all have to get as creative as Matt!
Alex
Finally got a slideshow from the 2008 Santa Claus Special. I also have a video, but I can't find the wire to connect the video camera to the computer... But hopefully it'll be up soon.
The train ran between Port Morris and Hackettstown, making stops at Netcong and Hackettstown, and was sponsored by the Tri-State Railway Historical Society. It was pulled by 2 PL42ACs, 4007 and 4021, and had nine coaches, consisting of 7 CVs and 2 CIVs. Included in the set was M-N 6007, a Comet V cab car that runs in pool service on the Hoboken Division.
Enjoy!
There is definately no question that so far, most all changes related to the industry suck. New work rules, new engines, and not just new engines added to the fleet, but they are replacing about 2, sometimes 3, older units a pop. Plain and simple, change will happen, but if you just look at something really quick here you'll see what I mean.
In the last 5 years, how much has your neighborhood/town changed? Pretty much the same right, maybe a new store or two, and someone got a new addition added to their porch.
Now, how about the last 5 years on the railroad. Well, 5 years ago there were still 80 plus WC SD45's running, straight SD40's in DWP colors on the CN, over 500 SD40-2's (plus FURX's) on the BNSF, the CP still had a few SOO Line SD40-2's in the states, and the CSXT had about 1/3 of its road roster as lease engines. Not to mention that the BNSF still had SD9's leading trains from Northtown to Willmar, and the SD60M's and a few Oakways were still in coal service.
I could go on for days, but what Im trying to say is that if we werent in this hobby, we wouldnt notice to much in terms of short term change. And as much as all of these crap engines will maybe make us better photographers, forget about the picture. What about the excitement from seeing something cool, or the will to wait in freezing weather to shoot something? There will be nothing, natta, worth waiting for besides maybe a foriegn unit to the area (and even then it will just be another GEVO, just a different color from the same junk that you will see everyday). Variety is the spice of life they say, well, that definately will take railfanning out of the "things to do" bin.
The thing Im going to miss is the excitement the most, and I already feel it going away. It sure says something when Id rather stay home sometimes than venture out, which would have been crazy talk up until a few months ago. Seeing a former C&O SD40 and a former Seaboard SD40-2 in Roseport on a CP coke train was sure something, a YN1 unit that still had a straight SD40 frame. I can still remember the drive down there, I had to mapquest it because its in an obscure place that I was not familiar with. We showed up, found the road, and I looked off in the distance, but didnt see anything. We continued driving until a little sliver in the trees found a Blue and Gold CSX SD40-2 idling away. Got out of the truck and ran down to the secluded area, and shot away. Listening to the pair of V16's, seeing a very rare YN1 rebuilt SD40, and being all alone with the pair was quite enjoyable, as I rarely ever see a pair of CSX SD40-2's. Now, im sure that wont ever happen again, heck, I may never get to see another CSXT SD40-2 again, something that I wished for everyday I awoke and biked down to Northtown.
But, the only thing that Im currently thinking about is a trip to Barr Yard during Spring Break, hopefully I'll be able to make it happen. If so, I will finally be able to shoot on real CSX rails.
All I really wanted to say (although it ended up into rambling) is that the things that I and many here love most about railfanning wont be here for much longer, and Im sorry but I cant really see myself enjoying the years to come in terms of railroading.
Alec(Continue with regular scheduled programming)
I feel your pain, man. I remember two years ago when I went to college. I scored an apartment near the BNSF line on the Staples Sub. Living near the BNSF Brainerd Sub all my life, I knew I'd feel comfortable somewhere where the trains were easily heard. On top of that, the traffic is so much different than on the Brainerd Sub, and I wasn't aware of that, so talk about an awesome surprise. I go from nothing but coal and the tri-weekly local on the Brainerd Sub to twenty to thirty trains a day of all sorts on the Staples Sub. Intermodal, manifest, auto rail, Amtrak, you name it. Engines of every sort. SD40s, 50s, 60, and of course, the 70s, GEVOs, and even a Dash 9 here and there. On top of that, seeing a rare engine was always a sight to see, such as a Dash 8, a Soo unit, an ACE(rare at the time, anyway), and even a few CN units(albeit the craptacular striped ones). And that's in edition to the regular BNSF, NS, KCS, and CSX stuff that was there every day. I was even able to see some switchers, and a few slugs. That brought me back into the realm of railfanning, and since having to move out of the area once again, all I've had to look forward to is the occasional trip to the Missabe territory(where I'm moving to this spring).
Railfan AlexOf course most railfans will miss the locomotives we all consider interesting, and bring so much diversity to our trips. But maybe this will lead to railfans having to be more creative in their photography skills than ever before, to make the endless amount of GEVOs something impressive to look at. It sounds corny, but that's what will happen in my opinion. Nobody's going to want to look at that plain old wedgie shot anymore, we'll all have to get as creative as Matt!
You. Have. No. Idea.
Pitstopping in here just to gloat about my top shot of a GEVo on railpics. How bout that, eh?
Anyways, some rejects.
Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296
Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/
Yes, it's Convent Station now, not Garden... That 710 sounds great!
I can still remember when I got a great lashup on CSX: GP40-2, GP40-2, SD40-2 in West Boylston, MA, as run-through power on Pan Am's Worcester-Ayer line. I also get some AC6000CWs there occasionally. And of course the SD60I/SD40M-3 in Washington, DC...
GP40-2/GP40-2/SD40-2 #1
GP40-2/GP40-2/SD40-2 #2
AC6000CW/GP40-2/GP40-2
SD60I/SD40-3M
I can get a GP40-2 or something anytime I want (if I get lucky and pick a day they're running 'cause they run whenever they need to, not on a schedule...) I live within biking distance of the CSX Leominster (MA) branch, which is restricted to GP40-2s...
That said, it would be nice to get some run-through power around here... Maybe some BNSF, NS, or UP...
Here, mostly it's GP40-2s. Specifically, it's mostly 3010 (no, that's not a quincidence [I think I spelled that right]). I think that's the unit assigned to the H02. It starts in Dover, goes east to ??? and then comes west to Washington and switches those green boxcars at the M&M Mars plant in Hackettstown. And yes, those M&Ms.
Alec, if you do go to Barr Yard, there are many other locations and other yards around there to visit. If you do decide to come, PM me cause I know some pretty good locations to shoot CSX power. Blue Island and Dolton, both of which are practically next door to Barr Yard. The Blue Island/Riverdale area is a interesting one, and there are several yards around there, Barr (CSX), Blue Island (IHB), Burr Oak (IAIS), Markham (home of the famous deadline, CN) and Yard Center (UP). The J is also not too far away, but I don't know how it's going to look power-wise but hopefully un Spring there will still be orange floating around here. Also, two suggested locations to stop by are IRM (if they are open) and Dixmoor. IRM has the WC 7525 and NRE has the former WC 7582, former DM&IR 206 and a ICG painted GP10. Dixmoor is actually not very far from Dixmoor, and if you go there, PM me also.
If you are by the CSX you might as well shoot the Indiana Harbor Belt which runs nearby the CSX, and in the Blue Island/Dolton/Riverdale area they practically parallel each other side by side. IHB has a roster of two NW2s, SW1500s SD20s, GP38-2s, GP40-2s, and even a former SP GP40P-2 that was a former Bicentennial engine. One thing to note is to watch and photograph any IHB SD20 you can, IHB is getting gensets sometime in the future (MORE bad news for this area!!!) and rumor has it the SD20s will be replaced.
On the EJ&E, it doesn't sound like CN officially has control yet. I would imagine CN will change the names of the Western and Eastern Subdivisions. Regarding the merger, I'm hearing a January 29th and a February 1st rumor now for the actual change in ownership. The interesting thing is there are two engines that will go to the Gary RR assigned to Joliet right now, yellow 301 and SW1500 460. I don't get why they left Gary since they're not supposed to go to CN. Hopefully I can shoot them tommorow before they leave Joliet for the last time. It's frustrating that all other mergers have had a set takeover day but this one can happen any second without any warning. I'll do what I did yesterday, shoot any J train that comes through.
ns3010quincidence [I think I spelled that right]).
quincidence [I think I spelled that right]).
Uh, no... It's coincidence...
I had no idea M&M's were shipped by rail, other than of course in intermodel trailers and containers! Maybe you could provide us with a little more info? Sounds like a neat (and tasty!) operation!
TrainManTy Uh, no... It's coincidence... I had no idea M&M's were shipped by rail, other than of course in intermodel trailers and containers! Maybe you could provide us with a little more info? Sounds like a neat (and tasty!) operation!
My bad...
Ok, so here it goes.
M&M Mars' main plant is in Hackettstown, NJ, on NS Washington Secondary. About a 30 minute's drive from me, they produce M&Ms, Skittles, 3 Muskateers, Milkyways, etc. I don't know how raw materials get shipped in, but finished candy gets shipped out in boxcars and trucks. Specifically, they are green boxcars. The H02, out of Dover, comes along and switches the plant. Note the green boxcar behind the 3010. The cars soon end up in Oak Island classification yard in Newark, NJ. From there, they get shipped around the country.
And that is all I know. I wish I knew more on the operation, but it's hard to get over there.
Well, I put up three EJ&E tribute vids on my Youtube channel. Yeah I will admit I went overboard but I already had the first two made before I got the photos yesterday. It's still the J as of right now, no telling when the deal will close.