i just dont understand CN's motive power management o well
Another thing, technically that line out of Pokegama is the old DM&IR Interstate Branch, so the Js are already running on their sister road's trackage.
I got in some good railfanning when picking and dropping off my friend at the MBTA commuter rail station...First, I picked him up at a new location for me, the Littleton/495 station on the Fitchburg line. This had a nice crossing and pretty high train speeds.
And a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niwcfnn_fS8Later that day, I dropped him off at Union Station in Worcester, and got a neat shot of the train sitting in the station tracks under a stormy sky.Then I headed to the east end of the yard to watch it depart.And I've got a video of that too.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uj7Da4vaCAHope you enjoyed!
I added two important engines to my photographed roster today.These would be Metra F40Cs 611 and 614, I finally got them! I ended up catching both just outside Chicago Union Station today. I'll have photos up as soon as possible.
Next Friday, my lacrosse team is going to see a New York Titans game at MSG. So I asked my mom if we could take MidTOWN Direct into NY, since NY Penn is the basement of MSG, and she says maybe. Then she tells me that my coach said the SAME EXACT THING. So we're taking MidTOWN Direct from Denville to NY Penn. I would do some railfaning, but I probably won't because my friends and teammates will be there. Unless I can get my mom to bring me to the station an hour early... We'll see.
And I finally got my camera working, and I discovered the video function on it (the battery door wasn't completely closed, and the video button is right next to the "take picture" button- Dee dee dee!). So next time I go railfanning, I can actually take pictures and video, just not simultaneously.
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Nice pictures Tyler!
Alright, so, I haven't even posted my White Pine Sub trip yet. But I should do that tomorrow with my Winona trip.
Well I was debating weather I wanted to go to Winona or not, but I decided to tag along. I'm glad I did!
First, I heard a train working out North of Winona, so we drove up Riverview Drive to take a look. A train called in for a warrant to head west on DME. ICE 6413 and ICE 6411 where on the train! A container train had just came through and the 487 (ICE 6413) gave them the all good. We rushed down an unknown road. We finally came to the power, it was a solid pair of ICE SD40-2s, but the middle unit is still a good catch, its DMEs only Ex SOO SD40. Well we needed to find a crossing quick, so we stopped at Minnesota City. This is where the CNW's former "Alco Line" went west.
Well we get back to Winona, and we unload my bike, and I start to bike around. SOO 114 was sitting their, a nice brown SOO caboose, along with a white and red SOO caboose. Also there was SOO GP38-2 4439, and ex SOO GP38-2 4437. Biking around some more I heard a GE prime mover and bell, so I had to rush back to the crossing thinking it was a CP freight, but it was Amtrak’s Empire Builder stopping at the Winona station. After unloading passengers, they head off.
I figured there wouldn't be any West Bounds (North Bounds) for a while with the Amtrak tying up the line. But not long after the signal turns green. Perfect, I see the train coming around the corner and what do you know, it's an ICE train! Here the Kansas City to Saint Paul Manifest head north with a DME SD40-2 and an ex CP SD40.
After waiting a bit, the signal turns green again. Looking down the tracks I could tell it was a SOO leading, I was hoping for a SD60, but as it got closer, it was just a pair of SOO Geeps. Still a very good consist! The picture isn't the greatest.
Well that about wraps it for April 25. Nice day, with very little GEs on the CP main. Maybe things won't look so bleak this summer for SD40-2s...
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Well i did some railfanning today and i didnt plan for it either! I went fishing with my dad this morning and right at the boat ramp is the CN old IC main to New Orleans and right when i was backing the boat into the water here comes one my first CN SD70M-2 with a 75I. About 10 minutes later another train with a Crash 9 and a SD60 cowl unit and what do ya know 10 minutes after that the City of New Orleans flys by! Thats all we were able to see for a couple of hours, until we were getting ready to leave and here comes one more with IC SD70 1029 second out. Even though i only caught one FISH! I finally got to see some trains and a IC 70 to boot!
Nice photos, Jordan! Gotta love those DME and SOO locos!
As some of you know, I went on a photoshoot to the Big Apple this weekend... I still have 700+ photos to sort through, but here are some of the ones I pulled out right away...
Outbound Metro-North train from the front door's window on our MU set like the one we're passing:
Metro-North trains at 125th St. Again, through the front window.
New York Subway MofW locomotive. Looks to me like a low-profile (the cab is about as short as the hood) GE 70-tonner-type locomotive.
Subway at 34th/Penn Station
Amtrak in the Penn Station Trench. Taken with permission from a parking lot on West 31st.
Same location, but with NJT instead. This shot got rejected from RP for some reason... Bad cropping and not enough sharpening... I didn't bother resubmitting it since nothing can fix the cropping. Perhaps I'll try later and hope there's a different reviewer who likes the cropping...
Subway "J" line crossing the Manhattan Bridge. Hard to see, on the lower deck. Once you know what to look for, it's easy to see...
Long exposure of a train leaving High St. Station. This was hand-shot leaning against a support column.
This is for historical significance only... The last solid Comet 1 consist left on NJT sits in Newark Penn Station. Newark Penn was New York Penn's counterpart in NJ, where passengers would take a ferry from one side of the Hudson to the other to connect. This changed when the tunnel was built.
A pan shot of the Acela arriving in Newark Penn.
The last solid Comet 1 consist again, crossing over the massive lift bridge just east of Newark Penn. This was right before some transit cops came to inquire what we were doing. They had been tipped off by someone since we were taking photos of the bridge. They were very friendly, and said right up front that what we were doing was completely legal and they totally understood, they just said that when taking photos of infrastructure like this that people were bound to be concerned. I think the days of post-9/11 paranoia are almost over!
Anyway, this shot was rejected by RP for "Foreground clutter" as in the bridge trusses. I don't get how you can take a bridge shot without them, and isn't the train playing "peek-a-boo" the whole point anyway??
This is PATH crossing the bridge. I rode back on PATH, but unfortunetely, photos aren't allowed on board... There was a lot to shoot as well; some awesome action at the PATH shops area and several CSX SD40-2s in the intermodel yard.
NJT Arrow III 1338 departs Newark Penn.
That's all I've picked and edited so far... I may post more later if there are more good ones...
TrainManTy Same location, but with NJT instead. This shot got rejected from RP for some reason... Bad cropping and not enough sharpening... I didn't bother resubmitting it since nothing can fix the cropping. Perhaps I'll try later and hope there's a different reviewer who likes the cropping...
Thanks Tyler! I think you find that photo hard to get into RP. Reason being that Amtrak 948 is cut out of the photo, and that the NJT locomotive isn't the center of the photo. There is a lot of "dead" space to the left of the photo. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice photo, but for RP purposes, it probably won't work. I'd try the photo before this one, that seems like it would have a better chance. RP will reject anything the screeners don't like. They will reject perfectly good photos because either they don't like it, or because it's a "wedge" shot, and make up some excuse. Sure they do use some of their screening "Processes", but I think a lot has to do if they like a photo or not.
Thanks for the input, Jordan! I'm trying the one with the Amtrak Regional now... Probably get rejected for overexposure, so I'm correcting that now... I'll let you know if it gets in.
Tyler, thanks for the PM. But you did it again- TWICE!!!
The first "Comet I" photo is a Comet IV consist- two differences there- center doors, and wide window band.
Thes secone "CI" photo is a Comet III consist crossing DOCK- one difference there- center doors again.
The last Comet Is were retired on 3/27 (a month ago today). They have all been either sold off, leased, or are currently sitting at the MMC in the deadline.
Oh, and by the way, the set that I thought was CIs on 3/20, was not actually CIs. The CIs had been moved from the MnE Lines to the Port Jervis line the day before.
I'm definately taking MidTOWN direct into NY Penn on Friday for the Titans game, but no guarantee for pix. And now, the ride might take 15-20 minutes longer because of a fire on Saturday at CP BROAD. Signal equipment was damaged, so now the Hoboken Division disp. has to walk all trains through the area.
In other news, NJT 502 is back from retirement. SW1500s 500 and 501 were sold to Larry's Truck and Electric Corp. (LTEX) and see service there, but 502 sat in the dead line for a long time. However, it will be rehabbed and will see new life on the River LINE, probably MoW for the Light Rail system.
Here are my Chicago photos from when I ventured downtown to catch the ever so elusive F40C. Canal Street would be the first location I would head to.
First, MP36 413 backs into Union Station. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1580799
Then a eastbound Hiawatha train pulls into Union Station with P42 146 on the rear. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1580803
Then, after several more MP36s, the moment of truth! F40C 611 pushes its train into Union Station. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1580800
Another one. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1580801
3 minutes later, here is the next inbound at the Clinton Street crossing, and what do you know, F40C 611 is at the rear of this one! http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1580802
That's all I will post for this trip, I saw many more Metras and the same Hiawatha heading west again, but all the other photos are pretty much repeats of the ones I already posted. It felt good typing METX 614 and METX 611 into the locomotive on RRPA! To my knowledge, with the MRL F45s being stored and NYSW's F45 out of service, these are the only two original, non-remanufactured classic cowl units left in regular service in the U.S. Kinda sad that these are the only ones, but it was neat to see both within minutes of each other.
Joe: I hadn't gotten your PM yet when I posted the photo and details... Oops! Oh, and I'm pretty sure I heard the sirens heading for CP BROAD when I was at the bridge in Newark...
Jordan: With a little sharpening, the photo you suggested made it onto RP!
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=281722
Tyler, congrats on your first RPs photo, Jordan was right, that is a nice shot. I do like the elevated angle that was taken on.
CN has moved the EJ&E dispatchers to Homewood, and some very dramatic changes have taken place as a result of this. First, instead of eastbounds and westbound, trains are now called northbounds and southbounds. Eastbounds are now considered southbounds and westbounds are now considered northbounds. The Western Sub is now the Leighton Sub and the Eastern Sub is now the Matteson Sub. The Illinois River Line (IRL) is now the Illinois River Subdivision (IRS), and the Lakefront Line is now the Lakefront Subdivision. CTC East Normantown is now CTC South Normantown, West Normantown is now North Normantown. Track warrants are no more, they are now track authorities. The whole system I had gotten so used to is all gone in just one day, it is pretty much starting over with no prior knowledge. This is very confusing and is going to take a long time to get used to.
The one really confusing thing is that the line is in a loop, so at some points, northbounds will actually be heading southbound and southbounds will actually be going northbound. With east and west, you never had this kind of confusion.
Looks like the DM&IR continues to get nailed by the economy, Minntac sounds like they laid off more workers, and United Taconite seems to have parked their production trucks, and if that is true, it might drastically effect the T-birds. Hopefully neither of these are true, otherwise that might give CN a reason to retire the two remaining maroon SD38-2s. It doesn't look like you'll be seeing EJ&Es on the DM&IR for quite some time.