An Eastbound NS 534 loaded coaldrag was stopped on Track 1 awaiting a better signal at ALTO…
Meanwhile, an empty Westbound hopper train, either a 537 or 539, with 3 SD60I’s for power, rolls upgrade on Track 2…
Before the train on track 2 clears, a thrird hopper train, a Westbound 423 empty coke train rolls upgrade on Track 3…
Before the 423 clears the scene, the Eastbound 534 gets on the roll again…While it was stopped, the rear helpers cut away and followed light behind the 534 into Altoona…
Don’t you just love it when you’re in the right place at the right time?
The first two trains (the load and the center-track empty) are PPLX cars, right? Bethgons?
The third train looks like a mixture of rebuilt CR and NS gons.
Spectacular, as always, Dave!
Yes, the loads on 1 and the empties on 2 are PPLX hoppers…couldn’t see the cars on the Track 3 train but those 422/423 coke symbols usually have a mix of hoppers including older Conrail
…Lucky man with video cam…Enjoyed it too. Wonder why somewhat different speeds for the two emptys…?
likely just subtle differences in tonnage and power…plus the train on track 2 was deeper into the grade when the train on three showed up…Once that third train got further into the grade it seemed to slow slightly to more closely match the speed of the other Westbound…
Where do you park your car @ CP-Slope? I saw your other video @ CP-C http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFP-M0usBTc&feature=channel Where were you when you shot that? Is it a public location? or did you have to shot and dash?
As far as Slope, when driving across the Slope overpass to the Track 1 (South side)side,there are a row of houses where 24th street makes a sharp right before continuing downhill (West)…there is a short dead end street there, perhaps was the approach road to an older 24th street bridge…I park there and walk a couple of minutes along the sidewalk down to the overpass…
As far as the videos in Conemaugh(Woodvale) there is a public dirt parking lot that abuts the tracks…accessed via a back alley off Rte 271 near Ritchies Restaurant…
Approx. 10 mins. 00 secs. long.
At start at 0:00 -
At about 3:27 -
EOTD of the 537 or 539 train on Track 2 passes flashing at about 4:38 - no helpers -
The EB 534 on Track 1 starts moving at about 5:00 -
EOTD of the 423 train on Track 3 passes flashing at about 5
[quote user=“Paul_D_North_Jr”]
Approx. 10 mins. 00 secs. long.
At start at 0:00 -
At about 3:27 -
EOTD of the 537 or 539 train on Track 2 passes flashing at about 4:38 - no helpers -
The EB 534 on Track 1 starts moving at about 5:00 -
EOTD of the 423 train on Track 3 passes flashing at about 5
Seems to me that there was a lot of coal left in the aluminium hoppers of the first westbound train. It looked like the same amount of coal in the same locations in each car. Added up I would guess that it probably come to a few tons of coal going back to the mine load out.
Mike