Wednesday, July 22, 2009
July 18, 2009 and SP4449
On Saturday July 18, 2008, my wife wanted to go fishing with her Mom on a pontoon boat. Knowing that SP4449 was scheduled for the weekend and that it was likey following the Amtrak speeds, I figured we had one shot to catch it. So I told her we could if I could catch the SP 4449 in the process, as the kids would like to see it. Her Mom agreed.
We went out to a point we could see the tracks near Onalaska, WI, from the Black River (Mississippi River), just above the Dresbach Lock and Dam. The track is the BNSF, former 'Q line. As of late, the line has been very irratic for a "schedule". There has been plenty of trains, just at varying times of the day (depends on the day we go looking). This meant we had no idea what, if anything, for other trains we would see.
Before we even got to the site, one train went by, some BNSF, some NS power.
Soon after, another train came by, again from the north. O
n this line the BNSF typically runs multiple trains in a row (typically 3) in one direction, followed by multiple trains in a row (typically 3 in the opposite direction).This was followed by a Northbound train(Not shown). All in the course of a half an hour.
At this point it was quiet for a while. I figured it was the time. They were running "late", and we were wondering where they were. I did a serch on my cell phone for SP4449, and found out that it had passed Trempeleau 10 minnutes earlier.
At this point, we heard the wistle for a steam engine. Sure enough!
Shortly after the SP 4449 came through, another BNSF southbound train came through with more NS power.
And last but not least. Note the fact that the pontoons are submerged! Not a loading I would like to be a part of! We saw this overloaded pontoon on Lake Onalsaka while we were out and about.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Fall in the South
The weekend of October 18 & 19, 2008 afforded me the chance to get back to the Atlanta area for a meeting. I took advantage of the weekend over to meet up with one of our OWL members and do some railfanning. We spent Friday in the Atlanta area. Unfortunately, it was nearly constant rain .
Here is an NS autorack train getting ready to depart Inman Yard. Of interest is that I found the lead locomotive, #2615, sitting in LaCrosse, WI on the 10th of October.
An empty BNSF coal train works through Inman on its way back west.
A westbound mixed freight heads through Inman on the main.
On Saturday, we headed up to Clinchfield country trying to take advantage of the fall colors.
At about sunrise, a Northbound showed up at Thermal,NC.
It then proceeded to meet a loaded southbound coal train as the sun came out.
At Marion, NC we caught up with a southbound grain train
At Toe River siding, just south of Spruce Pine, NC we found another southbound loaded coal train.
A short northbound mixed freight at Spruce Pine, NC.
After an unproductive trip to Green River, NC trying to figure out what the Northbound Mixed freight was running slow for, we found the loaded southbound coal train that gave us the slip. Futher research determined that there is a hard-t0-reach passing siding called Kona that is between Spruce Pine and Green River.
We caught this Northbound at Camp 2 after it waited for 2 loaded coal trains at Rocky.
Trying to get in front of at least 1 of the southbound coal trains that we missed at Camp 2, we went to the south end of Sevier just in time for a Northbound mixed freight to show up and take the siding for the first of the 2 loaded coal trains.
A nicely timed rolling meet at Sevier, NC
After the meet, the Southbound coal loads head out of the south end of Sevier.
Towards the end of the day, the sun came back out and we managed to catch a southbound at Marion, NC.
Just to the right is the NS overpass. Of course, just after this train went through an NS train showed up and took us by surprise so we didn't get any good pictures.
Sunday, we stayed in the Atlanta area, although we had more sun than on Friday. Here is a stack train making it's way through Inman.
At Jefferson Street, we find a mixed freight
A loaded BNSF coal train gets ready to depart Inman
A meet at Jeffereson street
Here is an NS autorack train getting ready to depart Inman Yard. Of interest is that I found the lead locomotive, #2615, sitting in LaCrosse, WI on the 10th of October.
An empty BNSF coal train works through Inman on its way back west.
A westbound mixed freight heads through Inman on the main.
On Saturday, we headed up to Clinchfield country trying to take advantage of the fall colors.
At about sunrise, a Northbound showed up at Thermal,NC.
It then proceeded to meet a loaded southbound coal train as the sun came out.
At Marion, NC we caught up with a southbound grain train
At Toe River siding, just south of Spruce Pine, NC we found another southbound loaded coal train.
A short northbound mixed freight at Spruce Pine, NC.
After an unproductive trip to Green River, NC trying to figure out what the Northbound Mixed freight was running slow for, we found the loaded southbound coal train that gave us the slip. Futher research determined that there is a hard-t0-reach passing siding called Kona that is between Spruce Pine and Green River.
We caught this Northbound at Camp 2 after it waited for 2 loaded coal trains at Rocky.
Trying to get in front of at least 1 of the southbound coal trains that we missed at Camp 2, we went to the south end of Sevier just in time for a Northbound mixed freight to show up and take the siding for the first of the 2 loaded coal trains.
A nicely timed rolling meet at Sevier, NC
After the meet, the Southbound coal loads head out of the south end of Sevier.
Towards the end of the day, the sun came back out and we managed to catch a southbound at Marion, NC.
Just to the right is the NS overpass. Of course, just after this train went through an NS train showed up and took us by surprise so we didn't get any good pictures.
Sunday, we stayed in the Atlanta area, although we had more sun than on Friday. Here is a stack train making it's way through Inman.
At Jefferson Street, we find a mixed freight
A loaded BNSF coal train gets ready to depart Inman
A meet at Jeffereson street
What to our wondering eyes should appear but a new KCS SD70ACe on the point of an empty coal train.
A CSX mixed freight wanders past Jefferson Street with an SD40 on the point.
Although the colors weren't as nice as some of the past years (probably due to lack of rain), it was still good to get out and see things I don't normally get to in Wisconsin.
Labels: Atlanta, Clinchfield, CSX, Inman, KCS, NS
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Munich Hauptbahnhof
The second week of May, I had the opportunity to attend an IEEE working group meeting in Munich for work. On my second night there, I took the time to ride the subway over to the main train station, known as the Hauptbahnhof.
The main streetside entrance is impressive, if modern.
Walking toward the concourse, DB (Das Bahn) has their version of 'Mr. Soo Line' offering information and greetings to travelers.
The Hauptbahnhof is a stub-end station, with tracks entering from the west. (A smaller station is on the east side of town, and is known as the Ostbahnhof.)
The northernmost tracks receive local and regional trains, including the one shown below.
Germany's version of bilevel commuter coaches was used on this regional train.
A couple of the high-speed InterCity Express (ICE) trains were also present. This one is of the highest-performing model, as shown by its more dramatic aerodynamic profile.
An older style of ICE train was also there, with more of a shovel-nose profile.
Typical of DB's trainsets, the ICE equipment is built by a consortium of German companies, as shown by the decal on the older one.
An interesting collection of equipment was there that evening, as seen in the similarities to that used in North America.
The main streetside entrance is impressive, if modern.
Walking toward the concourse, DB (Das Bahn) has their version of 'Mr. Soo Line' offering information and greetings to travelers.
The Hauptbahnhof is a stub-end station, with tracks entering from the west. (A smaller station is on the east side of town, and is known as the Ostbahnhof.)The northernmost tracks receive local and regional trains, including the one shown below.
Germany's version of bilevel commuter coaches was used on this regional train.
A couple of the high-speed InterCity Express (ICE) trains were also present. This one is of the highest-performing model, as shown by its more dramatic aerodynamic profile.
An older style of ICE train was also there, with more of a shovel-nose profile.
Typical of DB's trainsets, the ICE equipment is built by a consortium of German companies, as shown by the decal on the older one.
An interesting collection of equipment was there that evening, as seen in the similarities to that used in North America.
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