A Train of Power

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

CSX has a pair of elevated tracks between my office and another that I work out of in Washington DC. Amtrak uses them, as does the Virginia Railway Express, so something rolls by every few minutes.

Today, on my walk back I did see a first for these tracks. CSX ran a string of 14 locomotives and no cars. I know power is moved liked that, so it is not a first, but it is the first I’ve seen on that stretch. What was interesting was the mix of power:

A couple of SD40-2’s
An SD50
At least one SD60
Some SD70’s of various ilks
An SD80 (haven’t seen one of those here in ages)
Various C-44s
An 8-40C
And a lone Geep, a GP40-2.

One was still Conrail blue, the rest in one of two CSX liveries. Would have been nice if they would have dredged up an SD9 or an Alco, but that was too much to ask. Still, a pretty nice show for 10am.

2

I know what your saying, I see csx transfers from Cleveland to Buffalo and vice versa sometimes on the main here in Erie, PA. Really see some wild combos.

3

There are occasional motive power transfer runs like that anywhere that traffic is imbalanced in one direction. They sure are impressive.

One that I would have liked to see, except that it was way before even my time, was the train that delivered 20 brand-new three cylinder 4-10-2’s from Baldwin to the SP.

Remember, a train is, “A locomotive (or locomotives), with or without cars, showing markers.”

Chuck

4

Years ago the B&O through central Ohio, Newark Division, moved engines from Willard to Newark. One was a Southern Pacific SD-45!
Now the track is gone and part of it is a biketrail!