Welcome to the the Spring edition of Teen Railfan Place!
I have been very behind on video editing, because my videocard is acting up. Because of this I have been reluctant to do any editing:
Yes I still use Windows Movie Maker. Yuck!
Alex
Oh yeah, I kinda forgot it's spring! It's been so warm (reached 70 on Friday!! ), but'll cool down this week...
So I reached 25 subscribers on Youtube, and I uploaded the video. It's basically my favorite clips all put together in just over one minute. It's still processing, but here's the link anyway. Enjoy!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFageb2qeVc
Hey, Tyler, I'm assuming you'll be railfanning/riding the Easter Bunny Train at the Whippany Railway Museum again this year. I hear that SBRR 54, the BL2, will be pulling the trains this year!
I'd like to go on one of the Caboose Trains this spring/summer. That seems really neat. Riding in a caboose, pulled by an RS1! Plus, I've never been to the museum (yes, it's really close to me, but they're only open on Sunday afternoons April-October), and I'd like to check it out.
My Model Railroad: Tri State RailMy Photos on Flickr: FlickrMy Videos on Youtube: YoutubeMy Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives
I use Windows Movie Maker 6...I tried Sony Vegas and several other trial editions but all of them failed to handle HD video well on my laptop (fast, but with a lousy video driver!). When I installed Windows 7, I had to download Windows Live Movie Maker since 6 wasn't available, and it was the worst video editor I've ever used in my life. So I hacked 6 from a Vista machine we had on hand. I've always liked MSWMM.
ns3010Hey, Tyler, I'm assuming you'll be railfanning/riding the Easter Bunny Train at the Whippany Railway Museum again this year. I hear that SBRR 54, the BL2, will be pulling the trains this year!
HECK yes, even if it didn't have a BL2! A train that isn't MBTA, Amtrak, or CSX? And Alcos and/or BL2s? Too bad it rained last year so the train was canceled...will you be there this year? I know a pretty good railfanning spot right next to the Hackensack River (I think) in East Hanover and I'll be there for sure if the weather is okay.
You can't complain about what I've seen lately!
I went to Naperville and got UP's weekly trackage rights stack train, and what do ya know, it had the Katy Heritage unit leading! http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4446801818/
Then we went to Downers Grove hoping to get him again, but he was long gone, but then the gates went down when we were stuck on the wrong side of the tracks. I wasn;t going to get a picture until I noticed these trailing! http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4446039417/
Those are Wheeling & Lake Erie SD40-2s from Ohio! They never usually run this far east, so that was a treat!
Then we went to West Chicago and saw a few UPs, then went up to Spaulding to catch this rail train with good power nailing the diamonds at high speed. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4446838226/
Then after he cleared, this tasty duo heads north, a IC GP40R and J 670! http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4446833688/
Then we went back to West Chicago for a few more UPs, then went full circle back to Naperville where this nice SD75M led M-BRCGAL. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4446047947/
Right behind him was a NS leading a taconite empty train. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4446826378/
Right behind him was a CSX leading a ethanol. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4446053103/
Then two days later, it was back to Naperville, where the first train was a NS, more foreign power! http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4452672376/
Then here's the W&LEs again! http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4451844609/
Then here comes a westbound manifest, foreign power AGAIN! CSX, NS and CN on this guy. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4452685886/
Then this nice private car trails Amtrak. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4451921485/
Then another westbound, a coal train, and what do ya know, another CSX! http://www.flickr.com/photos/24084206@N08/4451915293/
Yeah, lets just say BNSF was nice to me this Spring break!
I have WMM6 on Vista, and I like it. Easy to use, no problems. I've never used anything else.
My bets for power this year will be 54 and 18. I hear (from the same place I heard about 54 coming to Jersey and then being on the EB trains. Yes, I have my sources! ) that 19 (the other C424) will be sent out to SBRR.They use 21, the RS1, on the caboose trains. I dunno why they don't also use it on the EB and SC trains as well. I mean, if it works, why not use it. A C424 and a BL2 is just about as good as it can get, but a RS1 and a BL2 is a million times better!
They cancelled it last year? But I thought they always say they run rain or shine...And no, I can't be there. I would, but as always, other things get in the way: Lacrosse, and not being able to drive...
One place you may want to check out is the M&E shops in Morristown. You probably won't see much there on a weekend, but it may be worth a look. You can easily look onto the shop area from the Staples parking lot. The big gray roof in the middle is Staples, and the shops is the green roof just to the Northhttp://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.798534,-74.473143&spn=0.003306,0.009624&t=h&z=17
Last year there was nobody at WRM where the train boards (according to my parents - I slept over at my cousins' house) and we never heard the train all day - usually we hear the rumble or at least the horn a few times. The dirt road to my spot was totally mud and it was raining so I didn't even try to go watch it.
I'll look into the M&E shops, but Morristown is a good drive from East Hanover so I may not be able to get a ride...
Well I never posted these, but here;s some older pics from October:
I think this one speaks for itself
This was totally worth the $40
The simple things in life bring joy, being on a historical steam train while a manifest soars past you makes you yell out "WOOO!!!!!"
If you look out onto the river at Lacrosse, you can see this bridge in the distance. But I never thought I'd be CROSSING it.
Look it's Lacrosse!
Then I went to get some freight action. The SD40-2 gods were kind to me. Nice hefty additions to my DME roster
Multimarks make even the most seasoned of railfans foam a little....
And to finish things off, here's a shot of the remains of the old CNW trestle in Winona. The one that burned down and led to CNW switching to just using the SOO trackage rather than repairing the bridge.
Your friendly neighborhood CNW fan.
Atmo, While I'm subject to correction, if the bridge pictured is the one next to the highway bridge into Winona I'm pretty positive you've got the two Winona bridges mixed up. The GBW bridge was further down stream and was taken out of service in the late 1980s before being removed completely in the early 1990s after a fire. The bridge pictured is actually the remnants of the CNW bridge into town which came out of service after the CNW tunnel at Tunnel City collapsed and they went to trackage rights on the SOO, like you already stated.
I haven't been around much the last week as I was on vacation (spring break), but I did get a chance to catch up on reading the posts around here. Some nice catches lately!
Noah
Ah thanks Noah. I was told by wgnrr on facebook that it was the GBW bridge so I took his word for it. Apparently not! I'll edit my post. thanks again
Tyler, if you can get a ride, then it's not far, less than 10 minutes. But it would be quite the walk, not to mention down Route 10 for quite a ways...I don't know how much will be around the shops then, though. From what I've heard, the only things outside lately are 487 and 489 (FL9s). When I was last there in February, however, there was way more sitting around the shops, but it's all been moved. If 54 and 18 will be on the trains, then other than the FL9s on track 4, the shops will be empty. Once it gets closer, I'll try and find out if anythings sitting outside and let you know if it would even be worth going (unless you didn't care if only the FL9s were there).BTW, all my photos were taken from the back of the parking lot, so you can tell the view is pretty good.
Very nice Atmo! I'd say it was worth the $40.
I forgot to mention that I saw 4205 last week. Dang, it's looking good since it came back from rebuild! I really like the geeps in the new scheme! Sadly, I don't have a photo, since it flew past us WB through the woods, while we were flying EB on Route 80... But for those interested, here's what it looks like (not mine):http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1837029
Thanks! 4205 sure looks neat. Passenger modifications can sometimes bring out a nifty look in motive power.
Anyway, I was caught by surprise yesterday when a coal train came past my school. Needless to say, I chased it to Elk Mound...
Conductor Vagts gave me a friendly wave as the power roared by.
Man I wish those SPs didn't have patches. 2 of them on one train would've been really cool. Especially for this area. Even then, how often are 2 units assigned as DP anyway?
There's no way I'd walk, with not even a rudimentary knowledge of the area. But 487 -- that's worth a drive out. I have a special connection with 487 since to date it's the one of the only FL9s I've ever seen. Why is it by the shops? Is it getting restored or is it a parts donor?
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1625552
Dude, no one in their right mind would walk that far!
No one seems to know what's going on with 487. It has been sitting on track 4 for over a year, and never even went in the shops.
BTW, in case you're wondering, tracks 1 and 2 go into the shops, track 3 (where the flatcar is) goes into that tent thingy, track 4 is where 487, 4240, and the bulkhead flat are, and track 5 is where 563 (the SW1200) is. Stuff being worked on are often on tracks 1 and 2, and anything and everything else gets tossed around on 3, 4, and 4. And yes, that is 54 up on the hill:
Unless something big happens between now and then, 487 will still be tucked in on track 4. As of late, 489 has been parked nose-to-nose with 487 on track 4. 487 came down over a year ago, never went back up to Maine, and no one knows why. It took like three months to get it from Maine to Morristown because (I think) Pan Am lost it or something! I believe it left in late 2008 (maybe early January 09?) and didn't make it here until March! Anyways, it's been in the shop since then and no one seems to know what's going on with it.
ns3010Unless something big happens between now and then, 487 will still be tucked in on track 4. As of late, 489 has been parked nose-to-nose with 487 on track 4. 487 came down over a year ago, never went back up to Maine, and no one knows why. It took like three months to get it from Maine to Morristown because (I think) Pan Am lost it or something! I believe it left in late 2008 (maybe early January 09?) and didn't make it here until March! Anyways, it's been in the shop since then and no one seems to know what's going on with it.
I take it you mean 489 came down from Maine? 487 had been parked on an industrial track in Whippany/East Hanover which is where I photographed it.
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It's been kinda slow around here, so here's a new photo from me...MBTA P523 departs Westborough Station.
Uhhhh, yeah, I meant 489... I was getting tired when I wrote that...BTW, I'm in the process of finding out about the status of 487. I asked, now I'm just waiting for ans answer.
I'll share something older I guess. Don't think I ever posted this here, so I will. Nothing some special, just some NJTR gondolas in Port Morris, used for tie replacements. The crane on the yellow car is the Jimbo.
That was from back in July.NOTE: I was NOT trespassing in the yard; this was taken from my train.