We kick off with Amtrak Train 19, the southbound Crescent, arriving at the Greensboro, NC station with P40DC #824 and P42DC #13. I think this is the first time I have ridden behind a P40 outside of the NEC.
Seven hours later the same Train 19 departs the Gainesvile, GA station on a Diverging Clear signal indication at MIDLAND interlocking. The old Southern cantilever had still not been replaced and as the train passes some hints to how the relay logic works was exposed.
The first of three trains I caught on the Abbeville sub was this doublestack intermodal headed by C40-8W #7705.
The engineer hits the horn as CSX C40-8W #7705 and AC4400 #457 passes through Bogart, GA at the former Abbeville Sub MP 510 signal location.
A pair of CSX AC4400's, #82 and #237, pass by the same location with an eastbound mixed freight.
When the light was a little better I opted for a still photo of CSX SD70MAC #4817 and ES44AC #912 with a unit grain train in tow.
The new MP 511.9 automatic signal lit up for an approaching train.
The new signal is adjacent to the previously existing "Athens" defect detector and a highway crossing. Hmmm...hope they don't run too many inboard bearing trucks on this line.
The approaching train was lead by a pair of Union Pacific road freights, ES44AC #7759 and C44-9W #9793, lead freshly painted CSX GP38-2 #2783. Here they whistle for the Cleveland Road crossing in Bogart, GA with a westbound mixed freight train. Hope it doesn't rain since some of the steel coil cars are uncovered. The detector marked the train length at over 5000 feet.
Something happened to the train shortly after it passed causing the 5120 signal to remain lit up at Approach. The TCS style signaling allow intermediate signals to "float" if another movement has not been lined. If you recall the old 5110 signal had a yellow lamp on its lower head for Y/Y Advance Approach due to a new interlocking being installed which created a short signal block. The new signal has a green lamp for Approach Medium indicating that the Athens siding has been signaled and extended to the "new" Pilgrims Pride interlocking. The re-signaling project also removed the MP 513 signal replacing three shorter blocks with two longer ones.
Heading back on Train 20 it was a foggy night at the Gainesville Amtrak station.
There was a lot of local power on hand to handle all the local industry and shortline traffic. Here NS SD40-2 #3558 hangs out with some friends on an old team track.
Amtrak Train 20, the northbound Crescent, pulls into the Gainesville, GA station with P42DC locomotives #181 and #14 on the front. #181 had previously hauled my southbound Train 79. Not sure if it had to be subbed out at Charlotte on a previous Train 19 or was put on aT19 at Washington.
Fast forward to Washington, DC and we find MARC MP36PH-3C #30 sitting on the lower level engine track.
New ACS-86 #620 was also in the mix.
In this video montage we see Amtrak Train 20swapping its P42DC diesels, #181 and #14, for ACS-86 electric #604. Also making an appearance is ACS-86 #620, MARC MP36PH-3C #30 and a couple of amtrak switchers pulling regional trainsets out of the stub terminal.
Getting off at Baltimore I found one of MARC's two semi-permanently coupled "AEM-14" locomotives. I guess sometimes you just need more power. This set included #4903.
Sibling MARC MP36PH-3C #18 and #19 were over on track 5 powering the hourly Penn Line train.
I will conclude with this video of the northbound Crescent departing Baltimore behind ACS-86 #604 with two private cars on the rear, the Dover Harbor and the Franklin Inn. Both were attached at Washington for a trip to NYC and later Montreal.
Tune in next time for some filler involving the B&O Museum's 0-4-0 steam locomotive.
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