Hi: I'm new here and wanted to know how I can find out where heritage units will be. I am mostly interested in Pennsylvania Railroad and Conrail, but I also like many others. Thanks.
Locomotives get used by their owner to haul freight, without regard to whatever paint scheme they may have. If it requires 3 units to haul a particular train and any 3 of a properly sized units are available they will be used. All units will return to a shop every 92 days for their federally required Quarterly Inspection.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
https://heritageunits.com/ can help you find the locations. If a railroad webcam is near you, you can watch for a HU on one.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
SamCHi: I'm new here and wanted to know how I can find out where heritage units will be.
Easiest way is to go to the Heritage Units Web site:
https://www.heritageunits.com/
(as Harrison posted while I was typing)
and allow them to access your geographical information. This provides you with a large map, which can easily be zoomed and scrolled, that has what is essentially a crowdsourced listing of recognized heritage (and some special-interest) units. Click on any indicator to see the data for the unit(s) involved.
Railroads will likely not be 'publishing' much information on where special units are running (that information would reveal quite a bit about the train operations the units are pulling, which are proprietary competitive information) so you have to rely on 'the kindness of strangers' for the information.
I have used their iOS phone application, too, and it's pretty useful 'in the field'. Can't imagine the Android version is less good.
Remember to 'pay it forward' - register on the site, and if you see anything interesting, post it on the system.
aboard SamC!
If you're really interested in the NS Heritage Fleet let me recommend a great book concerning the same.
It's called "NS Heritage Fleet" by Benjamin L. Bernhart, published by the Outer Station Project in 2013. 80 pages, all color, hard cover, and picturing all the Heritage units at various locations around the NS system.
Available through Ron's Books. https://www.ronsbooks.com and possibly others.
A great permanent record of the Fleet, because remember, one day those units will have to return to the paint shop, and who knows if they'll keep the Heritage schemes or return to NS basic black? Or something else?
Together with the site already mentioned, be aware of the various webcams (as mentioned), especially those with chat. Oftimes there will be info about when a given unit will pass that cam posted well ahead of it's arrival.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Don't rule out plain old dumb luck, either. I've managed to shoot four NS heritage units (CofG, VGN, DL&W, INT) just by being in the right place at the right time.
That's how I've gotten every heritage unit that I've photographed, being in the right place at the right time. I had no idea they were in the area. For me it makes catching one even better. The heritage unit site is nice but they tend to be behind a lot. I have heard Facebook has a lot of train groups that track the heritage units but I don't do Facebook so I can't say for sure? For me the best way to catch them is being track side every chance I get!
CSSHEGEWISCHDon't rule out plain old dumb luck, either. I've managed to shoot four NS heritage units (CofG, VGN, DL&W, INT) just by being in the right place at the right time.
Yeah, I usually find out about them to late. It doen't help that I can't drive. I have caught one CSX "sticker" unit by luck (and almost missed it too!). The Amtrak PIII unit I found out about from a local railfan, I dunno where he found out. I don't have a very good chance of seeing anything where I live, because there are two CP freights going through in the middle of the night, Two NS freights, one in the morning and one in the night, so... my best bet for HU is to go out of town...
I subscribe to "Railpace" magazine, and when there's a shot of an NS Heritage unit the photographer almost always says he got lucky!
No doubt the Heritage 'sites are a good tool, but just like anything else in railfanning it never hurts to have a bit of luck on your side!
CSX currently has (to my knowledge) three types of "special" units - the two fully painted units, the "sticker" units, and the "Spirit of" units.
The other day, watchers at Deshler were delighted to find CSXT 1 - the Spirit of West Virginia, I believe - on a train going through that hot spot.
Luck of the draw.
Webcams don't count for a sighting. That's no different than looking at a picture.
If it's not in person, it doesn't count. Get trackside.
That being said, please don't fall for the heritage unit hype. There is nothing more annoying than a train buff who can't take their focus off them. I truly wish none of them existed.
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.