2008: A year in review

[Lord Atmo]

NOTE: I'm posting only links to all photos I took out of thi area due to there being so many.

What a year! that's all I can say about '08. Now that the year is coming to a close, I thought it would be kinbda fun to sum up all my railfanning adventures I had this year in one spot. After all, it's been a really fun year!

It all started in April.....



Welcome back to Altoona, 6936! How long has it been? Over a decade? Thank god I could catch it this time!

But the DDA40X was merely the kick-off. Summer was when a LOT of good things started happening. All beginning with another celebrity's arrival in Altoona:



The first time I hd seen 1995 in broad daylight up here. In fact, it stuck around for over a week. I just sat there for hours staring at it too. And lemme tell ya, the detail on this machine is much more impressive up close. Altoona was starting to feel CNW again with 1995 sitting there all day.



I totally got a cab shot of me! shame it was only a GP15-1, but at least it had a spartan cab.

Then things got even better!



SD70Ms have made landfall. Power I hated to see has finally been replaced with SD70Ms, C44-9Ws, and SD40-2Rs. This place is becoming quite ideal now!


My first SP! working the LTB55 for a while too. Great to see one in Altoona!



2 big macs, a crash 9, 2 SD70Ms, and an AC6044 rebuilt from an AC6000. Consist of legends!

Speaking of legends...


SD60s...Can never get enough of them. I only saw ONE last year. And here's a nother leading LTB55. I even got it on video  :mrgreen:


But fate was on my side. For I caught a SECOND SD60 in November leading a work train!

This year was also great for foreign power sightings in Altoona. Apart from the usual NS on roadrailers.


My first SD70MAC! CSX through power is quite nice to see!


I even got some CSX GEVOs. this was July 2. Also the day Little Caesars opened. My favorite restaurant returned to Eau Claire, and I got to see CSX GEVOs on the same day.


And a UP GEVO too...on the same day!

I think, though, my favorite encounter in Altoona has to be when I saw this:



The last place I would ever expect to see an ICE unit!

Of course, I made 2 trips to St Paul because of something exciting being there....


Certainly no CNW 8007, but UP 3985 is the next best thing  :P  since he rarely travels beyond Omaha. I'm so glad I got the chance to see him in person!

I was able to go on railfanning trips with Dan and Max too this year. both brought me some great photos and trains to see. Due to the huge amount of photos I took at the trips and on this page, I will instead provide a link to the main album with them all and only post the one that made it into railpictures.net!


Max Medlin took me fanning and allowed me to shoot this train and Matthew hicks edited the photo to make it look the best it could and allow it to get into railpictures. This also was the first DMIR unit I ever saw!

For the rest of the Duluth and Oshkosh photos, go here: http://lord_atmo.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=17227&Page=2

But to conclude the year, there's only one way!


A second trip to St Paul to see the CP holiday train! It's quite a neat sight to see too. up close with all the lights and stuff.

Plus in non-train news, the blue Angels came back to Eau Claire for the first time in a decade and flew an airshow again. It was so great seeing them here after so long! Not to mention Little Caesars, my all time favorite food ever, reopened here after a 7 year absence since our old one closed down!

So there you hve it, my 2008 was awesome beyond awesome! How bout eveyone else's? I made this thread so we could all sum up how the year went for us!