Caption: Running "Southern Style", two NS SD40-2s lead C93 into Fort Erie. Both tracks of well cars pictured are in storage there, with the ones on Track 99 (far left), being somewhat recent arrivals (on an X149 I was told). Earlier in the month, Track 99 had a string of racks dropped on it by 538 (link here) which became a 232 (link here) the next day.
|
Interesting seeing two 40′s on a NS train (even better LHF). Is this type of power somewhat typical or more of an oddity on NS trains?
Might be more typical of NS yard power but to be honest I am not really sure. I don’t really follow the American roads.
Well, around Buffalo i’m led to believe it’a fairly normal, just luck of the (funny Buffalo pun alert!) draw. There’s a few SD’s in yard service in the Buffalo area and I’ve seen a few in the flesh, Tifft yard and on C93 last summer. Sometimes C93 gets road power sometimes yard power, and it’s the yard power that is usually non GE.
The heritage units would be road power no doubt..
Finding 2 SD40′s, both with hoods forward, just seems like something you would not see to often in Canada. Good catch James.
Correct, but Larry search the site, NS ran like this often in Canada (And decades ago too) and… well.. still does – even with big GE’s across the border into Canada. Fort Erie is probably the best place to find such a thing. NS was (and to a point still is) known for this.
Of course go far enough back and CN ran this way too… but..
Oh yes, I have seen what you are mentioning Steve (the GE’s in particular do look unusual running backwards). Plus the common history of hoods forward on NW, CN & Southern. It is more to finding SD40′s running trains. Most here in Edmonton are working industrial yard or work train duty. So, as I write that last sentence, I’m thinking, if these 2 units are transferring (from a yard across the border to yard here and then take one back to the US) trains of goods between 2 countries, that is actually a perfect job for these old boys.
Agreed. I would hazard a guess the SD’s are on this train upwards of a dozen times a month. A crapshoot. It runs every single day though.
Shot the 3480 in Toledo last summer
Southern and Norfolk Western also the ran the high hoods for safety reasons. Wonder if the Engineers liked that and running LHF though? Note the big Operation Lifesaver graphic on 3480. Very nice James!
They ran 3535 LHF in last time I was there.
James, nice picture. Always like watching activity around the International Railway Bridge.Nice colour contrast between the green grass and foliage, the bright coloured racks and auto transporters, and the black NS units. As for running LHF, my introduction to it was on the NRHS Independence Limited heading to the NRHS National Convention in Toronto in July 1980, when NS predecessor N&W placed a brand new SD in maroon paint on the head end take the Limited out of Roanoke and up the hill to Bluefield WV LHF. Thanks for sharing.
Question, are rail cars still stored on the ex-CASO/NYC tracks ?
Hey railwayguy, yeah, cars come and go from storage there. Most often it is empty wells in and out. Right now it is once again full of empty wells.. I saw 562 down there earlier this month moving them around. At one point that had 16,000 feet of empty wells on their train!