Your most treasured sighting

[Anonymous]

Metra E8 pulling the California Zephyr on CNW during the floods of 1993. I had no idea that the CNW was the only line open to the west. Also, saw a E8/9 in Pennsylvania paint roll southbound on Conrail’s Marion Branch during the summer of 1997 at New Paris, Indiana. It was sandwiched between two Conrail EMD’s. Still have no idea on that move.

[Glen Ellyn]

1. Union PAcific #3300 with an S1 Green Mountain railroad company.

2. #3300 attatched to an unpatched C&NW

[espeefoamer]

When I was 12 in the early 60s,I had a doctors appointment in Pasadena.We arrived early ,so my mom stopped at the Santa Fe station to watch trains.When we got there ,we saw a steam engine with a string of heavyweight passenger cars.We found out that a movie was being filmed .We watched as the train ran into the station several times for the cameras.The engine was ATSF 2-6-2,#1010.The movie was The Carpetbaggers,and I saw Bob Cummings on the platform.The train was actually being pulled by a high nose GP on the other end of the train.[:)][:D][8D][:p]!

[athelney]

My Canadian one -- photographing CPR #2860 & CN #6060 doubleheading an excursion on Anderson River bridge - south of Boston Bar BC - just before sundown in Nov 1988 . just enough light to highlight the steam & the loco profiles. Now as for the UK - well we could start with 2 Stanier class 5- 4-6-0's climbing Shap in the early morning with an overnight extra passenger from London--- (you had to have been there!! )

[Anonymous]

Seeing three Rio Grande GP30s on a train around 1992 or 1993, in Salt Lake City. I had my camera with me and got a picture, which unfortunately didn't come out very good. Then in 1989, I got a picture of some kind of GE diesel on the Philippine National Railway that was built in either the 1950's or 1960's. Picture that I wish I had: a Santa Fe SD75M in the red and silver warbonnet, leading three blue and yellow Santa Fe SD45-2s on a train sitting in UP's North Salt Lake Yard.

[jokestre]

In 1997 when UP844 and E9units traversed the Joint Line down to Pueblo ,into the Royal gorge,across Tenn Pass,and Glenwood Canyon seeing and hearing that has forever been burned into my ole noggin[:D]

[lonewoof]

(Tie)
(1) First time watching/HEARING N&W 611 stomp by, upgrade, on the way out of town;
(2) First time seeing/hearing an actual 1:1 operating Shay on the Graham County RR.

[gabe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wcfan4ever

QUOTE: Originally posted by wcfan4ever

It was a night shot of a Manitowoc, WI train leaving town with 11 engines, all in Wisconsin Central paint. A set of 5 came in the night before, then 2 more came in the next morning, and then 4 later at night~all GP's. Rare for a town that only gets one local train a day usually with two engines and anywhere from 10-50 cars. The only reason so many trains was they ran an extra into town and the crew died on time, then the next two was the extra, they ran out on time, and then finally the last one came and made it back to Neenah, WI on time. ~Since CN times, most loco's in a consist have been 4. WC usually ran 5 or 6 in on Sundays. I sure do miss those days.

Dave

Well I don't know if this beats it or not. Last Saturday night, two WC SD45's and a WC GP40-2 (3027-Flag Unit), pulled into town with well over 100 cars! Never before have 2 SD45's found thier way into Manitowoc. Plus, they were all WC's and its 2005!!!!!!!!!

Sadly, I feel as though you understand what I meant in the above post when I said "It was like seeing a ghost." I miss the WC, and the days of seeing trains like that are numbered.

A poster formerly known as "Gabe"

[wcfan4ever]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wcfan4ever

It was a night shot of a Manitowoc, WI train leaving town with 11 engines, all in Wisconsin Central paint. A set of 5 came in the night before, then 2 more came in the next morning, and then 4 later at night~all GP's. Rare for a town that only gets one local train a day usually with two engines and anywhere from 10-50 cars. The only reason so many trains was they ran an extra into town and the crew died on time, then the next two was the extra, they ran out on time, and then finally the last one came and made it back to Neenah, WI on time. ~Since CN times, most loco's in a consist have been 4. WC usually ran 5 or 6 in on Sundays. I sure do miss those days.

Dave

Well I don't know if this beats it or not. Last Saturday night, two WC SD45's and a WC GP40-2 (3027-Flag Unit), pulled into town with well over 100 cars! Never before have 2 SD45's found thier way into Manitowoc. Plus, they were all WC's and its 2005!!!!!!!!!

[spbed]

Watching the EB UPRR UPS "bullet" train pass Marana, AZ going like the wind. The earth was shaking like the area was being hit with a earthquake.

[gabe]

When I was about 5 or 6, the Illinois Central's Springfield - St. Louis line lie dormant and I had never even saw a train on it before then. Little did my fragile mind know that they would be ripping it out in less than a year.

Anyway, on the way home from church (hope I don't offend anyone), there was a train on it. It was a GP-10 with about 15 gondolas. He stopped in my hometown, Mt. Olive ( I have no idea why, as he certainly wasn't waiting on another train), and my Dad and I got to talk to the engineer. He was a real old timer.

Looking back, it was as though I saw a ghost of all that was good about railroading. I think that is what started my love for the IC.

A poster formerly known as "Gabe."

[bnsfkline]

hew tresured sighting......a GP40P-2

[Anonymous]

I had forgotten about this until just a few days ago. But I have seen the "Torch Train" lol, you know the Olympic Torch. It came through here, but I don't remember if I had my camera or not.

[coalminer3]

Steam: NYC 4-8-2 westbound out of Boston with the New England Wolverine, and B&M steam in branch line service out of Boston. Just happening to be in Hinton, WV, photographing with a friend when NKP 765 showed up heading east on a ferry move. I spent the afternoon watching servicing, etc. and then watching her head east. No photo lines, folks running around etc.

Diesel: Baldwins on the LV at Sayre, PA, touring a brand new Maine Central E unit in Boston, and seeing DD40s in service in Wyoming

Electric: Two here: One was watching an EP5 with a westbound New Haven passenger train in a heavy rainstorm; tremendous arcing off the catenary!
Being on the station platform at New Brunswick when the Congressional went through; tuscan GG1 and silver and tuscan cars. Magnificent!

work safe

[M636C]

I was visiting Los Angeles in 1977, and a local railfan was showing me around. We were out at Colton yard, and we were concentrating on getting the C630s being used as switchers there at that time, when we noticed a train heading out in the background. I hadn't seen the units, and neither had our host (at least not clearly) so he suggested we chase it up the freeway to the next available overpass. It wasn't that fast so we got there in time. I don't remember the numbers, but the train had a Southern Pacific U50 leading a DD35. There were only three of each type, and they rarely worked together. I took both slides and B&W negatives. The negs failed, through a shutter defect, and the slides weren't great, but I had seen it!

Peter

[Anonymous]

Another good sighting was the first time I saw East Tennesse's switch in Johnson City. It has a Southern Ry inspired paint scheme.

[Anonymous]

I was in a town 45 minutes north of where I live was a eastbound CP train with a SD40-2f and a SD40-2 and in the middle is saw this sw1500 in the middle of the two engines I wasn't sure if the this engine was going into the nearst yard for work or being taken in to be turned in to a slug

[corwinda]

Another candidate: BN NW 5 in a scrap line in Tacoma WA

[Anonymous]

As a confessed stalker of branchlines, shortlines and secondary mains, I'm usually just glad to see any train! A couple of my favorite catches:

CSX caboose-carrying local on the Loup Creek branch out of Thurmond, WV. After many unsuccessful tries, I finally found a train on this line in Nov. '02. Less than a year later, the line was sold to a shortline, which (alas) does not use a caboose.

SD80MACs hauling ore on the one-train-a-day (if that) NS Cleveland Line between Alliance and Yellow Creek, Ohio.

The three St. Maries River Railroad trains I've photographed on the branch to Clarkia, Idaho.

And just about any other train on a railroad where it takes a little perseverence and a lot of luck to see any wheels turning!

Scott Lothes
Cleveland, Ohio

[bnsfkline]

My other most cherished sighting is me strangling railpac for stealing my topic!

[mudchicken]

(1) Walking into the ATSF roundhouse at Albuquerque NM the second week on the job in 1981 and finding all of John Reid's stored museum pieces including Little Buttercup under plastic. (Most have since moved to Sacramento, CA)...

(2) Daylight at Belleville, KS in November 1983 on Kyle RR to discover 8 former BN Alcos (C-424 & C-425's) arriving in running condition. Never had seen a big Alco running before that day.

[SSW9389]

Shooting two sections of the 70 MPH Blue Streak Merchandise within ten minutes at Maude, TEXAS in 1972. Priceless!

Getting ahead of the Super C west of Edelstein, Illinois in 1975.

Catching a four train meet at Nolanville, TEXAS in 2002.

[corwinda]

Hard to select just one ... so here's a couple of the candidates.

Chessie GP30 on SP in Carlin NV.
all the trucks, rig etc for what I believe was an oil drilling outfit on a freight in Nevada.

[Anonymous]

Being trackside in Dayton Tn as N&W 611 pulled in with the Autumn Leaf Special.

[wcfan4ever]

It was a night shot of a Manitowoc, WI train leaving town with 11 engines, all in Wisconsin Central paint. A set of 5 came in the night before, then 2 more came in the next morning, and then 4 later at night~all GP's. Rare for a town that only gets one local train a day usually with two engines and anywhere from 10-50 cars. The only reason so many trains was they ran an extra into town and the crew died on time, then the next two was the extra, they ran out on time, and then finally the last one came and made it back to Neenah, WI on time. ~Since CN times, most loco's in a consist have been 4. WC usually ran 5 or 6 in on Sundays. I sure do miss those days.

Dave

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eolafan

A couple of sightings come to mind. Being in the far northern area of Metro North and seeing an FL9 and a few cars come blasting through a grade crossing and then later catching the same unit at a station stop on its return trip North. Second would have to be my memories of catching many F units in Wisconsin back in the 1970's in Wausau, Wisconsin Rapids, Stevens Point, etc. on SOO, CNW, MILW, etc., and third would be F45 and FP45 units in Run-8 coming through LaCrosse also back in the 1970's on BN (some in GN sky blue scheme).

Thanks for reminding me. I also saw an FL9 in a consist with the last Norfolk and Western diesel ever built (I think).

[eolafan]

Another favorite of mine was seeing a UP DDA40X with a UP business car train coming into West Chicago, IL

[Anonymous]

The Wisconsin Central Packer Game excursion train (1995 I "think" it was).
It was drawn by a GP40 which I caught in DePere, Wis. while I was up
visiting friends in that berg. I had no idea the train would be in the area or
that the WC even operated such excursions. It was northbound on the
former Soo ROW on that Sunday morning and I got to crossing in just
enough time to see the headlights well down the tracks (I'd gone out just
to see if anything was rolling with little expectation of success). A GP40,
the WC business car (parlor car I believe) and the Green Bay & Western's
dome/observation car "Prairie Rose". Perfect light conditions, great
position and perspective, and the train was moving slow enough to make
a great shot.

Packers 35 Bears 28 <-- in-case any Packer fans know the year.

[rixflix]

It's a snapshot taken by my mother (probably with my grandmother's brownie) at the Outer Station in Reading. All three of the wye's trainsheds were still there and we are on the Lebanon Valley platform. That would be me (3 feet tall in snowsuit) restrained by my grandfather and brother Pete restrained by my grandmother. The restraint? Just 4 feet away is the valve gear and front driver of a Reading G-3 Pacific on the head end of the "Queen of the Valley" (which usually got CNJ power on it's daily Jersey City to Harrisburg run). I must have been bitten by the rail bug sometime prior to this, as I appear to be studying the finer points of the steam chest. I guess Grandma and Papa thought we might go in for a closer look.

Uh-oh, here comes some business. I wish work would stop interfering. Sayonara ya'll.
Blessed be Jean Shepard in all His works
Captain Video aka Rixflix