23-06-22 PHOTOS: Southern Solstice

Although my visits to Georgia have decreased from twice a year to once a year, the timing of the visits have changes from spring and fall to summer, allowing for more light into the evenings. This matters as my travel itinerary involving Train 79, 19 and 20 will benefit from the increased daylight hours. Although a rear facing window has been unavailable on any part of my route since 2015, I was still able to put together enough content ( mirror ) to create a worthwhile post.

Because Train 79 does not stop at the BWI Airport Rail Station, I now need to first grab a MARC train to DC. So here are a bunch of photos of MARC cab cars at both ends of the journey.

I arrived in plenty of time to catch the southbound Carolinian Train 79 and its associated power change where ACS-86 electric #664 was exchanged for the last P42DC delivered to Amtrak, #207.

The new track 22 platform at Washington Union Station was coming along with new concrete ties and rail being laid.

Amtrak P42DC #207 at the Richmond, Virginia RF&P station while a train of empty 1 TEU municipal waste cubes return empty to New York City.

Passing through Rocky Mount I spotted C40-10W #5355, ES44AH #3203 and SRS Doodlebug #144.

Train 79's baggage car #61068 at Raleigh.

Upon arrival at Greensboro I was able to get off the train, pass through the station and run the better part of half a mile to the Elm St crossing before #207 and Train 79 departed for Charlotte.

The light also allowed me to notice this trackside building with an NS building ID placard on it. Further investigation revealed it to be the former Southern Railway Southern Division HQ that itself had been placed in the old 1899 Greensboro Depot.

Southbound Crescent Train 19 arriving Greensboro with P42DC's #43 and #193.



My sleeping car room was in Viewliner 2 bag-dorm #69000. The Viewliner 2 roomettes are superior to the V1's in that they lack that unsettling in-room toilet. Although they were intended as "dorm" cars to sleep the on board staff, Amtrak typically sells some of the rooms in them to the general ridership. The half baggage car seems to be sufficient for the Cardinal and Crescent routes where they run.

Southbound Crescent Train 19 making an on time daylight departure at Gainesville.

Gainesville has a small yard and crew facility to interchange with the local short lines and deliver animal feed trains. This day C40-10W #7516 was sitting on the engine storage track, which is distinct from the ready service track that was currently empty.

NS AC44C6M #4428 was also hanging out near the station, likely having been involved with some regional freight from the Atlanta hub.

Cargill GP9 #405 and Rail Switching Service GP8 #722 had tied up for the day after switching the local feed plant overnight.

3 days later I was on my way back to Gainesville. A weather front generated this rainbow over the increasingly dead Georgia Square Mall in Athens and orange clouds over Route 129.

I got to the Gainesville Station just as the last sunlight was fading from the sky. NS SD40E #6097 and SD40-2 #3261 were on hand as the ready service local power with C40-10W #7516 still on the engine track.

As with the previous year, the power from a unit grain train was being stored north of the station. The lashup consisted of 4 units, NS AC44C6M #4428, NS ET44AC #3632, BNSF ES44AC4 #8359, NS C44-9W #9816 and AC44C6M #4461.

Only one NS freight passed by while I was waiting and I missed getting any video, so here is northbound Amtrak Crescent Train 20 arriving at Gainesville with P42DC's #125 and #119.



After a good night's sleep I was up in time to catch the stop at Danville, VA, where the police had been summoned to remove someone from the train.

I managed to catch NS C44-9W's #9564 and #9977 passing Montville Yard in Lynchburg.

Bag-Dorm car #96005 at Charlottesville.

NS SD60E #6973, SD40-2 #3331 and SD60E #6938 at Manassas.

At Washington Union Station, Amtrak Phase IV heritage P42DC #164 showed up to pull off Train 20's P42DC #116 and #125 diesel power.

Amtrak ACS-86's #650 and #651 were both at the head of Virginia Regionals, ready to pull out while #628, #619 and #643 waited in the wings for other trains.

#628 would make its way onto the front of Train 20 to replace #116 and #125.



Departing Washington my Crescent passed MARC MP36PH-3C #13, SC44 #82, HHP-8 #4915 and GP40WH-2 #68.

This was also the first year BWI became a regular stop for the northbound Crescent as opposed to a secret stop you requested from the attendant. Here Train 20 departs BWI to finish its run to NYC.



That's it for my 2023 Crescent run. Next time I'll be back riding the light rail in Pittsburgh.