3 way hopper train meet at SLOPE...Altoona, Pa....

[dwil89]

An Eastbound NS 534 loaded coaldrag was stopped on Track 1 awaiting a better signal at ALTO....

Meanwhile, an empty Westbound hopper train, either a 537 or 539, with 3 SD60I's for power, rolls upgrade on Track 2.....

Before the train on track 2 clears, a thrird hopper train, a Westbound 423 empty coke train rolls upgrade on Track 3.....

Before the 423 clears the scene, the Eastbound 534 gets on the roll again.....While it was stopped, the rear helpers cut away and followed light behind the 534 into Altoona...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRrVYDBwcAs&feature=channel

 

[CShaveRR]

Don't you just love it when you're in the right place at the right time?

The first two trains (the load and the center-track empty) are PPLX cars, right? Bethgons?

The third train looks like a mixture of rebuilt CR and NS gons.

Spectacular, as always, Dave!

[dwil89]

Yes, the loads on 1 and the empties on 2 are PPLX hoppers.......couldn't see the cars on the Track 3 train but those 422/423 coke symbols usually have a mix of hoppers including older Conrail

[Modelcar]

........Lucky man with video cam.....Enjoyed it too.  Wonder why somewhat different speeds for the two emptys.....?

[dwil89]

Modelcar

........Lucky man with video cam.....Enjoyed it too.  Wonder why somewhat different speeds for the two emptys.....?

likely just subtle differences in tonnage and power.....plus the train on track 2 was deeper into the grade when the train on three showed up.....Once that third train got further into the grade it seemed to slow slightly to more closely match the speed of the other Westbound...

[BT CPSO 266]

Where do you park your car @ CP-Slope? I saw your other video @ CP-C http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFP-M0usBTc&feature=channel Where were you when you shot that? Is it a public location? or did you have to shot and dash?

[dwil89]

BT CPSO 266

Where do you park your car @ CP-Slope? I saw your other video @ CP-C http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFP-M0usBTc&feature=channel Where were you when you shot that? Is it a public location? or did you have to shot and dash?

As far as Slope, when driving across the Slope overpass to the Track 1 (South side)side,there are a row of houses where 24th street makes a sharp right before continuing downhill (West).......there is a short dead end street there, perhaps was the approach road to an older 24th street bridge....I park there and walk a couple of minutes along the sidewalk down to the overpass....

 

As far as the videos in Conemaugh(Woodvale) there is a public dirt parking lot that abuts the tracks.....accessed  via a back alley off Rte 271 near Ritchies Restaurant....

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Approx. 10 mins. 00 secs. long. 

dwil89

  An Eastbound NS 534 loaded coaldrag was stopped on Track 1 awaiting a better signal at ALTO....  

At start at 0:00 -

dwil89

 Meanwhile, an empty Westbound hopper train, either a 537 or 539, with 3 SD60I's for power, rolls upgrade on Track 2.....

At about 3:27 -

dwil89

 Before the train on track 2 clears, a third hopper train, a Westbound 423 empty coke train rolls upgrade on Track 3.....

EOTD of the 537 or 539 train on Track 2 passes flashing at about 4:38 - no helpers -

dwil89

 Before the 423 clears the scene, the Eastbound 534 gets on the roll again.....

The EB 534 on Track 1 starts moving at about 5:00 - 

EOTD of the 423 train on Track 3 passes flashing at about 5:55 - no helpers -

dwil89

 While it was stopped, the rear helpers cut away and followed light behind the 534 into Altoona...

End of the 534 train on Track 1 passes at about 9:43 - without helpers - they're in the distance until the end at about 10:00.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRrVYDBwcAs&feature=channel 

Good sound on the road power of the 2 upgrade trains.  Some car/ truck noise from traffic over the bridge from time to time, but that seems to be only when the hopper cars are passing.

Dave, thanks for going out, recording this, and sharing it.  The foggy/ misty morning just focusses attention on the trains, I think. 

There's not many places in the world - let alone the US - where you can just stop in on a Sunday morning and see this intensity and density of traffic occur routinely.  It's all quite amazing.  Thanks again.

- Paul North.

 

[dwil89]

Paul_D_North_Jr

Approx. 10 mins. 00 secs. long. 

dwil89

  An Eastbound NS 534 loaded coaldrag was stopped on Track 1 awaiting a better signal at ALTO....  

At start at 0:00 -

dwil89

 Meanwhile, an empty Westbound hopper train, either a 537 or 539, with 3 SD60I's for power, rolls upgrade on Track 2.....

At about 3:27 -

dwil89

 Before the train on track 2 clears, a third hopper train, a Westbound 423 empty coke train rolls upgrade on Track 3.....

EOTD of the 537 or 539 train on Track 2 passes flashing at about 4:38 - no helpers -

dwil89

 Before the 423 clears the scene, the Eastbound 534 gets on the roll again.....

The EB 534 on Track 1 starts moving at about 5:00 - 

EOTD of the 423 train on Track 3 passes flashing at about 5:55 - no helpers -

dwil89

 While it was stopped, the rear helpers cut away and followed light behind the 534 into Altoona...

End of the 534 train on Track 1 passes at about 9:43 - without helpers - they're in the distance until the end at about 10:00.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRrVYDBwcAs&feature=channel 

Good sound on the road power of the 2 upgrade trains.  Some car/ truck noise from traffic over the bridge from time to time, but that seems to be only when the hopper cars are passing.

Dave, thanks for going out, recording this, and sharing it.  The foggy/ misty morning just focusses attention on the trains, I think. 

There's not many places in the world - let alone the US - where you can just stop in on a Sunday morning and see this intensity and density of traffic occur routinely.  It's all quite amazing.  Thanks again.

- Paul North.

 

Thanks.....I often spend that time of the morning up at CP-MO at Cresson on the other side of the hill....watching Westbounds start the descent of the West Slope as Eastbounds near the end of their climb toward Gallitzin...

 

The morning that I shot this pareticular video, rain was forecast to move in, so I decided to head East to buy more time before the rains moved in from the West......which also gave a different perspective as now I was on the other side of the hill watching Westbounds climb the hill and Eastbounds descend....

[seafarer]

 Seems to me that there was a lot of coal left in the aluminium hoppers of the first westbound train. It looked like the same amount of coal in the same locations in each car. Added up I would guess that it probably come to a few tons of coal going back to the mine load out.

Mike