22-07-08 PHOTOS: Gainesville After Dark - Part 1

My 2022 summer trip to Georgia was my first in the purely post-COVID era and although baggage service on Train 79 had unfortunately returned, the same could not be said for full dining service on Trains 19 and 20. Another permanent change was the three hour shift in the Crescent's schedule departing Gainesville moving a 9pm departure to an after midnight departure. However this year there was quite a bit more to do at the Gainesville station thanks to a larger amount of NS motive power resting overnight. Still, without the reverse photos on Train 79 I'll be able to cover the entire trip within a single photo set ( mirror ) narrated in two parts.

The trip started out from the BWI Airport Rail station, which unfortunately is not served by southbound Carolinian Train #79. This requires an initial hop to Washington Union Station via southbound Amtrak Regional hauled by ACS-86 #630. This arrived just after a northbound MARC local with MP36PH-3C #20 and cab car #8055.

At Union Station Train 79 arrived on time and ACS-86 #622 was dutifully swapped out with P42DC #25.

The first extended stop was at Richmond where #25 looked like it had suffered a number of hits from oversize Southern mosquitos.

Departing southbound, my Train 79 passed by CSX SD40-2 #8250 and GP40-2 #6013 at the south end of Acca Yard.

Jumping ahead to Rocky Mount I encountered plenty of additional CSX motive power in the yard there including ES44AH #3106, SD40-2 #8033, C40-10W #5321, ES44AC #831 (being fueled), SD40-3 #4296, GP40-2 #6341, SD40-2 #8459, YN2 painted AC4400 #389, palindrome SD40-2 #8228 and finally plain jane SD40-2 #8256.

The next extended stop was the new Raleigh station. Like 2021 a signal was displayed westbound at HUNT interlocking for a semi-scheduled NS manifest freight, however unlike 2021 it did not appear before our departure. Also like previous years, the skies at Raleigh were quite a bit threatening.

I didn't get any photos of Train 79 from the Greensboro station platform as I was rushing to try and get a video from the Elm St grade crossing. Unfortunately I did not make it in time.



As is traditional I stopped by Natty Greene's pub for dinner and drinks, emerging some hours later to an NS intermodal train led by C44-9W #9524, AC44C6M #4389 and an a 1000 series SD70ACe heading south on the former Southern Main Line.



A few hours later, southbound Crescent Train 19 arrived with Amtrak's 50th anniversary P42DC #50 #46 followed by generic P42DC #84.

I got a much better photo opportunity after disembarking in Gainesville.

After Train 19 departed NS C40-10W #7614 was reveled on the engine storage track.

Cargill/CRGX GP9 #405 had yet to begin that day's switching service at the local feed mill.

The humidity was so oppressive in Georgia heavy condensation was forming on the refrigerated food units in the local super market!

Unfortunately my host's riding stable had changed locations meaning I could not longer easily catch CSX traffic on the Abbeville Sub. As a consolation I was able to stop by the Abbeville Sub's bridge over the North Occonee Creek bridge in Athens, which is adjacent to the "Rainbow Forest" art installation.

A few days later I would return to the Gainesville depot well after dark with an additional three hour wait ahead of me, however that and my northbound journey will have to be covered in Part 2.