Trainwatching Thread

[Anonymous]

On 11/20 sometime after 3:00 am I was trainwatching in Moorhead, MN (across the river from Fargo, ND) on the BNSF. I was at the crossing of the old GN and NP main lines. I saw a frieght backing up going West from the yard in Dilworth about 2-3 miles away. Since it was backing up on the main line it had a caboose with two flares on the back porch. It was pretty cool seeing the caboose brightly lit up from the flares as it slowly glided by.

The train has to back up from the yard in order to clear the switch to go south on the old GN mainline. There is no interchange between the tracks going west->south, only east->south. It was very fun as I got to see the train go by backing up and then again as it proceeded down the south bound track. The Northern Lights were even out.[:)]

[JoeKoh]

I saw a ten engine train(yeah thats it) going to chicago the two engines working the yard in defiance.a csx coal drag in cario and a ns mixed freight while coming home on the nkp line.
stay safe
Joe

[Willy2]

On Sunday I saw a freight on the Union Pacific with 4 very burnt and beat up Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt engines behind the lead units. The rest of the train looked battered up too. It gave the appearance that it was heading for the junk-yard.

[techguy57]

LaGrange- I gotta ditto what Jim said about Blue Island. It is not the kind of place you want to go alone if you can help it. If you go, go with at least a couple of people with you and just be cautious.

Maybe we can arrange for some of the Chicago folks to meet up there some time. I've been told there is a lot of train action there and at Dolton but have been warned that the Dolton neighborhood can be a little rough and I know that Blue Island can get that way too. Also if you go to Joliet, I recommend the day time as well, although it isn't as bad as it used to be.

If there isn't already, it could be fun to organize a Chicago area railfan group. It would be a great way to meet other foamers and share pictures and info and what not. Just a thought.

techguy

[Anonymous]

As JoeKoh stated earlier (Nov 23), CSX has been running old UP locos lately. I have seen a few along the old B&O Metropolitan sub(now CSX/MARC Brunswick line), and many days 2 or 3 have come through on seperate trains! I have also seen an old hopper still carrying the B&O logo too![:o]

[Anonymous]

I agree with the previous comments about Blue island Crossing. While it is one of the premier hotspots in the Chicago area, you do need to worry about your safety and be cautious. If you railfan at Blue Island [and you should], go with several friends.

I also agree the area around Dolton Junction is gritty and blue collar. However the junction is right next to the police station. You should have no problems at Dolton Junction during daylight hours.

[Nora]

We saw a lot of neat stuff while we were driving around today. In NS's Conway Yard we saw three UP engines, the NS exhibit car and two SD80MACs which I hardly ever see -- I saw them one other time about a month ago.

Then we drove around some more and ended up in New Castle PA near the CSX yard there. There was a burgundy and gray (I think) engine that had "Electro-Motive Division" on it, number 2000, and either a GM or EMD logo on it or both. What is this all about (I know EMD is the manufacturer but I've never seen an engine painted like this)? Does it belong to CSX? Anyone know?

--Nora

[Anonymous]

Yesturday I saw.. A whole bunch of cars in the 1950 CP rail Script font...

Looked like they escaped from the scrap yard..

[Anonymous]

[:)][:)]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Nora

QUOTE: Originally posted by Train Guy 3

I keep seeing these ballast cars with a odd name over the last two months. The name is " HERZOG ", the letters are in white, and the cars are like maroon / rust in color. Does anyone know who or what " HERZOG" is.

I have seen a Herzog ballast train around here several times this summer and fall. I learned that (let's see if I can remember this right) they've got a computer with the whole NS system programmed into it, and by using GPS the train can drop the ballast as it goes along, all controlled by the computer and the GPS. It knows where the road crossings etc. are and will stop dropping the ballast right before the crossing and start up again just past it. It sounds pretty neat, but I haven't gotten to see it doing that yet. I usually have seen it just coming into or out of the yard.

--Nora

[:)]Me And SLIC were just thinking about that UP has A ballast train thats remote controlled I remember when it was air controlled I guess It works like gps I noticed they have solar panels on one corner of the top
so I guess that how It works[:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by LaGrangeIll

Today on I-57 and I-80 saw a small glimpse of Chicago's Blue Island Crossing. While on the expressway I saw a CSX coal train, with a CSX AC6000CW and a UP AC4400CW. And a little further on the expressway I saw an IHB Grain Train, with two repainted Geeps.

I wish I was going there instead of my Aunt's House!

Also a big qusetion......
Is Blue Island Crossing in a safe enough neighborhood for a 14 year old to go?

Only During Daylight hours [8D]

[Anonymous]

This morning (8 AM) I saw a Conrail Loco pulling a NS loco with a flat car in between. This was on the NEC, they ran right through the Wilmington, DE Amtrak station!

It was cool because SEPTA also uses the station and Amtrak and SEPTA Trains were buzzing in and out as well.

[DTomajko]

In recent monthes,on NS's Pittsburgh mainline,I have seen several UP "AC" engines headed east,an SP GE AC4400, and numerous older NS power,ie:high-nose SD40s,GP38s,and Dash-7s.There were also two UP GP60s,(ex SP?),with two NS GP60s waiting outside of Rutherford Intermodal Terminal in October.Also,there is a Frisco 50' boxcar that regularly travels the Pitt mainline,still in full "billboard" coonskin lettering.In September I got photos of a Rio Grande GP40 and an SP Dash-7 in Beecher,Il.Good luck, stay safe, and Merry Christmas to all.

[eolafan]

Last weekend at BNSF's Eola (Aurora), IL yard I saw a Westbound "Z" train with three business cars on the rear end. One was a power car of some type, the second was a "bi-level" but with much larger windows than your typical suburban or Amtrak bi-level, and the third was an open end observation car. It was traveling quite fast and since I was shocked at the sight of them I forgot to get car names and pictures (sorry, folks!). Jim

[JoeKoh]

this past weekend csx decided to use bnsf power(mookies b-day influence?)also csx ran an autorack off the east west main down the wye to the north south main and two intermodals followed right afterwords.got pics if you are not on my list just email me.
stay safe
Joe

[Mikeygaw]

saw a NS geep once in a yard... unusual, since most of the stuff around are SD's

[Anonymous]

Saw this beautiful

oh wait this is about TRAIN watching


nevermind then.

[mudchicken]

Last week in northern Plainview TX, saw Rock Island SW-1 #536 in maroon and yellow w/ white letters at a grain elevator alongside US-287/ I-27 on the east side. Time warp![:D][:D][:D]

Is it me, or does Iowa Interstate sending all of its old GP-7s and GP-9s to the Texas panhandle to finish off their usefull days??? (Amarillo, Lubbock, Etter, Dimmit)[;)]

Kevin: Go to your room![:D]

Mudchicken

[Mikeygaw]

why limit it to just trains? there are many other beautiful things that are nice to watch out there...

[Anonymous]

You said it man.. What if i saw A girl while Train wathcing..

Eat Butter!! LOL thats good!

It's about now my girlfriend would take her calculator out and start caluculating the Grams of fat and the carbohydrates behind that statement, and the amount of weight you gain.

[Anonymous]

A UP local n bound from troop tx 30 miles N to Tyler ex SSW line yd
2 Autorack trains wbnd to Corsicana Tx then sbnd to Sanantonio Tx

yesterday 12/16/03 A BNSF local

[Nora]

I am doing this BECAUSE I CAN: [:D]



This is a NS coal train with two UP SD70Ms as the only engines; I saw it today in Sewickley, PA. There is also a Christmas tree floating over the train. It's not a great picture, but whatever.

--Nora

[Anonymous]

Hey, you'll never beleave what I saw...........oh....wait...that was an old PHOTO of a B&O E-8. oh and a ........... uh ....... just another photo - of a B&O doodlebug. Well, I saw a lot of B&O in action[:0][B)] Well, i have seen many rental and lease units along the CSX line here still.

[Mikeygaw]

dude, post a link to the doodlebug... i have a model train of it and i want too see a real one

[Anonymous]

Well, it is a solid print mounted on the wall of the museum I work at, but Ill see if I can find some real quick, and post a link.

[Anonymous]

told you Id find one quick, http://eldora.net/lyndon/doodlebugs.html
this site has many photos of M&StL Doodlebugs

[Anonymous]

I always liked to see the F units working on the WC.

[Anonymous]

Yesterday, 12/29, I went out to LaGrange Ill to watch for the first time in 2 weeks.

Just before LaVenge, on the Metra commuter train, I looked back into the BNSF Cicero Engine Yard and was very supprised to see a Soo Line engine and a Blue and Yellow Santa Fe U-Boat, I thought U-Boats were gone?

Anyway right when I got off of the train I was about to cross the street when, the gates started to lower. I looked east and saw a ball of light comming at me. I pulled out the video camera as quick as I could and watched the BNSF dash 9 and the BN SD40-2 highball past LaGrange Road. As this was happening a scoot was pulling into the station. Quite a sight!

Later a Light engine move with A BNSF Sd40-2 and a BN GP 38 came through town heading inot Cicero Yard.

5 minutes later a train full of empty doublestack flatcars came absolutley FLYING through LaGrange.

As the action on the BNSF died down I decided to go over by the IHB/CSX joint line under the Ogden Ave. overpass.

I had never seen anything on this line in my 6 times coming to LaGrange, although people said it was busy too and this time I saw 2 trains less then a half hour apart.

A CN manifest train with 2 SD70I's and a, gasp!, WC SD45 went under the Ogden Ave. overpass and came crawling by. I waved to the Enginier and he waved back. This train took 10 minutes to go by. The train, as it was passing by, crossed over two tracks, so I decided to stay a little longer.

Finally I started to walk up to the Overpass but then I saw lights of in the distance. I rushed back down the stairs and set up next to the tracks.

It was a CSX Manifest with a SD40-2 and a Dash 9 plus an extremely aged CP Rail Geep.

All in all it was my best day ever in LaGrange.

[BNSFNUT]

Had a few hours to devote to train watching a couple of days ago so headed tracks and I sat there for about 3 hrs. With three railroads in town (NS, CP, NYSW) I thought I have some luck. But spent 3 hrs and saw nothing even the local yard engine was off somewhere. Just caught a lull in the action I guess. Alll well it was a nice day.
I can complain for in the last year I have seen NYSW, CP, NS, CSX, GTW, CN, UP, BNSF, B+A and an asortment of leased units here in the Southern Tier of NY.
I hope 2004 brings more trains to the area.
Happy New Year
Jerry

[rrnut282]

Yes, NS's ex NYC waterlevel route is busy at the expense of the NKP line....

[JoeKoh]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrnut282

Yes, NS's ex NYC waterlevel route is busy at the expense of the NKP line....

that is because the former Nkp line is single track with short sidings[:(] but there was some action around leipsic junction last weekend.its 730 and the sun is coming up! going to go see what we can find![:)]
stay safe
Joe