13-09-24 PHOTOS: Southern Return

Every time I go down to Georgia to visit my friend I always make a point of returning to the part of the country that isn't horribly bigoted and believes in science. These trips don't tend to result in as many nice photos as the outbound trips because unless the train is terribly late I only have a small window of daylight early in the morning between Charlottesville and Washington, DC to take pictures. This trip is no different and while the Southern Main Line photos are a little thin I did manage to get some excellent photos while the power change was taking place in Washington, DC.

You can find all of the pictures right here.

Today we kick things off with a video showing a CSX mixed freight on the Abbeville Sub passing MP 510 automatic displaying a Y/Y Advance Approach indication with a pair of AC4400 locomotives, #468 and #295, running elephant style.


Moving on to the Gainesville Amtrak station where my northbound Train 20 was running a bit late around 9:30 pm I had some time to take some photos of the local yard power stationed there. Here is NS SD40-2 #3355.

There was also some road power switching a long string of tank cars with C40-9W #9108 on the front and SD70M-2 #2775 and an SD40-2.

For a "small" station there was a good sized group of passenger waiting to board the northbound Crescent.

Amtrak Train 20 arrives at the Gainesville, GA station with P42DC's #191 and #121 providing the power.



NS SD70ACe #1055 in the number two position behind C44-9W #8953 with a mixed freight southbound at Culpepper, VA.

Southern railway cabin car on display at the Manannas Amtrak/VRE station.

Well I said I had some great Washington, DC photos so we begin with MARC MP36PH-3C #10 preparing to depart in front of #13 with a double headed Penn Line train.

Lead power for my train, P42DC #191.

Amtrak AEM-7 #941 hanging out reading to take charge of a train for the trip north to New York.

AEM-7 #926 departing northbound with a Virginia service Regional.

 Amtrak SW1000R #796 running past K Tower with an extra pilot running on the back porch and an MoW whistle man on the ground.

We'll finish things off with this video montage of all the cool power change and arrival/departure action from Washington Union Stations lower level. The video includes:

Amtrak AEM-7 #926 departing with a northbound Regional
Inbound MARC commuter train
P42DC's #191 and #121 pulling off T20 to the yard.
Outbound DC Metro Red Line train.
MARC MP36PH-3C engines #13 and #10 on providing power to the previously mentioned inbound train.
Amtrak AEM-7 #908 with southbound Train 79 running next to an Amtrak SW1500 switcher.
Amtrak SW1000R #796 pulling out past K Tower
AEM-7 #946 running lite from the lower storage tracks up through K interlocking before reversing onto the head of Train 20


Well that's it for this week. Tune in next time for some more MARC and CSX photos from downtown Baltimore.

13-09-19 PHOTOS: Darth A-Line

Twice a year I take a trip down to Georgia to visit a friend, but due to a variety of circumstances the spring '13 trip was canceled and so my trip in September of 2013 was my first time on the route in over a year. During this time CSX continued to carry out more of its re-signaling campaign on the A-Line removing more of the 1980's era ACL/SCL signaling.

Anyway you all know the drill. Train 79 from Baltimore to Greensboro, NC changing to Amtrak train 19 which would take me the rest of the way. All of the photos can be found here and check them out especially if you enjoy all the signaling stuff. I got pretty lucky being able to take one window rear facing photos instead of the usual two window dreck I have to deal with on Amfleets.

We begin at Amtrak Washington Union Station with a double headed Regional preparing to depart the lower level with AEM-7's #950 and #912 at the front.

Up on the upper level was Acela Express power car #2019 waiting for its next departure northbound.

The diesel power for my Train 79 was P42DC #43.

Amtrak heritage baggage car #1703 waiting for P42 #43.

Video of #43 running up through A Interlocking and then back onto the front of T79 coupling to baggage car #1703.



Lone railfan taking photos at the Fredericksburg Amtrak/VRE station.

CSX GP40-2 #6295 engaging in some flat switching at the Fredericksburg Yard.

Passing northbound Amtrak Train 94 near Massiponix just shy of XR interlocking where the VRE yard is located. 

Although modified some of the original RF&P signaling has been left in place :-)

Unfortunately the pneumatic switch machine equipped and RF&P signaled SOUTH MILLFORD interlocking has had the once over.

HN tower at the Doswell Diamonds.

Street running through Ashland, VA.



Train 79 and Train 92 side-by-side at Richmond Staples Mill Road station.

P42DC #43 at Staples Mill Road.

13-09-14 PHOTOS: End of the Wye

Bailey's Wye is the nexus of mainline railroading in Baltimore where the old Camden passenger terminal and Howard Street tunnel join the line to the yard and port facilities at Locust Point. I've been there many times before and posted several sets of photos from the area, but this time the trip was more out of necessity than pleasure as the all-consuming resignaling project that CSX has been undertaking in the Maryland area is finally ready to scrub the old B&O from Baltimore.

After declaring a railfan emergency I made a special trip down to the site in September to document whatever I had missed during a previous trip back in March. You can find all the new photos right here.

We begin at the Mt Royal Light Rail station with MTA-MD LRV #5043.

I was actually looking to take my first light rail trip to Cromwell since the line was double tracked years ago, and since my friend and I had first caught a BWI train we had to transfer at Hamburg St. While there I caught the southbound B&O CPL mast signal at HB TOWER displaying an uncommon Approach Slow indication.

MTA-MD LRV #5029 at the Cromwell Terminal.

CSX C40-8W #7346 and C40-10W #5290 wait for a proceed signal at Leadenhall St heading out of Locust Point yard for the main line westbound.

With a Slow Approach Slow indication up on the CPL dwarf the train then heads past the signals at LEADENHALL ST interlocking towards the main line connection at BAILEY. The new Darth Vader masts are already up.

Slow means slow as we see the same freight train crawling across the Leadenhall St crossing and knocking down the B&O CPL at BAILEY.


Footings are in place for a new 4-track signal bridge at BAILEY. All of this is a massive waste seeing that all of the signaling here was redone for the 1992 Camden Yards redevelopment project which opened the new MARC station and extended the Howard St tunnel.

CSX ES44AC-H #913 leads a New York City trash train southward under the 3-track Bailey B&O CPL signal bridge.

AC4400 #5 was in the second position.

After the westbound had passed the eastbound track 2 signal pulled up a Medium Clear for a train headed through the Howard St tunnel.

That train was a real catch with AC6000 #5001, the CSX Diversity engine and SD70MAC #4798 pulling the cars.


I'll leave you all with this photos of a southbound Amtrak Regional train on track #7 at Baltimore Penn Station with HHP-8 #651.

Anyway I hope you all have a happy holiday season and remember the 13th Mid-Winter trip is this upcoming Thursday 12/26.