14-04-30 PHOTOS: Bal Collapse

Back at the end of April 4 days of rail caused a 100 year retaining wall overlooking the CSX Baltimore Terminal Sub to collapse onto the tracks. For those of you who don't watch news or otherwise live with their heads buried in the sand here is the viral video of the collapse itself.


This happened to be located not far from where I hang out and was actually one of my major train watching locations. The street had been showing subsidence problems for years with several sinkholes patched and filled by the city. Still, the problem kept getting worse and everyone in the area knew that it was just a matter of time. Anyway, of course I went and took photos of the aftermath, however I have held off on posting them because I wanted to see how things turned out to present a more complete picture of the collapse and the cleanup effort.

Also thrown into the set are some random photos taken on Balt/Wash area rail lines that didn't fit into any other set. You can see the full album of photos here

Here's how things looked a few hours after the collapse. Who's going to clean up all those cars?

Video taken the first night.


When CSX Re-signaled HUNTINGTON AVE they moved the westbound signal location from inside the tunnel mouth to a point next to the retaining wall. This is all that is left of the relay hut now.

Unlike the public sector CSX did not fuck around clearing the single track Baltimore Belt Line. Within 48 hours they had 3 excavators working non-stop to pile up the rocks and earth. This is the ONLY CSX route for freight moving from south to north with the nearest detour being through Hagarstown, MD. The Baltimore Belt Line us used by trains carrying orange juice to New York City and hauling trash away.

Video of the removal process.


Here you can see the brick paving that underlies many of Baltimore's city streets.

14-04-28 PHOTOS: Southern Midland

You all should know the deal by now. When I post up some A-Line photos the next set will be Southern Railway photos, often from the trip back up north. This post will be no different, but due to a lack of material caused by Amtrak leaving baggage cars on the rear I'll also be including some photos taken upon my arrival in Gainesville, GA. You can find all the photos in this set here

We begin with my train, Amtrak's Train 19, the Crescent, departing Gainesville, GA for points south. The train waits a few seconds for a more favorable signal indication at MIDLAND interlocking as local light engine move caused the dispatcher to wait and see how late Train 19 would be before setting a route. Upon completing its station work the NS dispatcher lined the route here and at the next interlocking causing the signal at MIDLAND to change from Approach to Approach Diverging.



Hanging out outside the Gainesville station at 7am in the morning was C40-8W #8384 and C40-9W #90233.

A pair of dragging equipment detectors were waiting on the public delivery platform at the station, waiting to be installed.

A trip of NS SD40-2s #3428 and #3526 with SD40E #6345 run light through MIDLAND interlocking just south of the Gainesville, GA Amtrak station. I think 3428 has a bit of a sick horn.


MIDLAND interlocking is on tap to be re-signaled along with its southern era cantilever mast.

MIDLAND interlocking used to involve a diamond crossing with some local short line. The diamonds have long been removed, but the power derail and ancient GRS model 5 switch machine remain in place. Weird.

Do to a re-signaling effort on the Abbeville Sub my favourite (aka most accessible) signaling location has been removed completely due to CSX's desire to eliminate a signaling block after they spliced in a new interlocking about 5 years ago. The new location is about a half mile to the south. 

CSX AC4400 #117 and ES44AC #3095 passing the removed MP 510 automatic signal location in Bogart, GA with a doublestack imtermodal train.


Night shot of NS SD70M-2 #2760 at Gainesville.

NS SD40-2 #3526 with some friends sitting on main track #1 at Gainesville.

 #3526 and friends making some noise as they hang out at Gainesville, GA.


NS SD40-2 #3532 blocking a crossing next to the Gainesville, Amtrak Station.

NS SD40E (former SD50) sitting on main track #1 at the Gainesville Amtrak Station.

One additional NS SD40-2 #3369 hanging out on a proper engine storage track at Gainesville, GA.

Amtrak Train 20, the Northbound Crescent, arriving at Gainesville, GA with P42DC's #72 and #118.


MARC HHP-8 #4913 with new Amtrak ACS-86 #601 and an unitentified AEM-7 all side-by-side on the lower level of Washington, DC's Union Station.

P42DC #72 about to be pulled off Train 20 and swapped with an electric.

14-04-24 PHOTOS: A-Line Scraps

It is once again time to head down the Eastern Seaboard Coast to visit my friend in Georgia. For those of you who are unaware the process involves a daylight trip on Amtrak Train 79, the Carolinian, all the way to Greensboro, NC where I then change to Train 19, the Crescent, to complete the trip down to Gainesville, GA. This year there was a bit of a hiccup in that my Train 79 was suffering an initial delay of almost an hour which would not be made up throughout the course of the trip. This gave me a little extra time to take videos of the non-delayed trains passing me by at Baltimore's Penn Station.

If you want to see the whole set of photos they are located here

We begin with AEM-7 #928 arriving with a southbound Regional.

A little while later northbound Acela Express lead by power car 2005 arrived on the opposite track.


After that a southbound MARC local departed from Track 5 with MP36PH-3C #29 pushing.

I was waiting for a while as eventually another northbound Acela turned up with power car #2035.

As this departed it passed my late arriving train 79 with AEM-7 #910 just north of the platforms. Once on the road Amtrak dropped us behind a MARC local train which cost us another 17 minutes.


In DC the lineup of P42DC's waiting on power change duty included #48, #71 and #115.

#1750 was our Heritage baggage car this day.

On the lower level of DC's Union Station Train 79 exchanged AEM-7 #910 for P42DC #139. While shooting that video a northbound Regional with P42DC #117 arrived on the adjacent track.