Where did you go for Thanksgiving, and did you see any trains?
Thanksgiving takes us 200 miles northwest, to Grandma’s house in Aberdeen, S.D. It’s on the BNSF mainline (former Milwaukee Road transcon route) accross the top of S.D. All day and all night, I heard trains heading through town, about every four hours. The only moving trains I saw were a local, bringing ethanol cars up from the south, and a light engine movement.
The yard there is huge, and has a big overpass at the west end. I counted 5 grain unit trains in the yard. I couldn’t tell if they were empties or full, or which way they would be headed out.
Stayed home on Turkey Day, but worked our Black Friday “Elf Trains” as conductor, and just got back from some cab rides (in F’s) for territory familiarization during a couple of our Polar Express runs. It’s hard to learn the line from inside a coach.
CSX had stuff running through Utica, but I missed most of it.
I mentioned my activities over in the Trackside Lounge, as usual, but since I’m still working on updartes to my freight-car sightings from the trip, will be glad to talk about it again.
Thursday found us in Durand, Michigan, headed to my sister’s house in suburban Detroit. At Durand we saw a GTW yard switcher at work, and, after a while caught a freight train coming from Chicago through the connection for Detroit. The front half was all auto racks, with a mixed bag of cars bringing up the hind end.
Coming home Friday, we saw nearly nothing, but we were on roads that stayed away from busy rail lines, for the most part. Nothing on CSX in Plymouth, Michigan (their big crossroads in that part of the state). Nothing moving at Hillsdale, where the Indiana Northeastern Railroad seems to base its operations (we did see an INER engine well west of Hillsdale, by some industry, but it wasn’t moving, either). Nothing at Jackson or Marshall on the old Michigan Central main line, which NS no longer seems interested in maintaining. We didn’t encounter any South Shore traffic on the streets of Michigan City (where we made our one Black Friday shopping trip into the outlet stores), but did encounter an eastbound NICTD (long one!) at Burns Harbor (found out that the new signal system on the South Shore is approach lit!). Took the Toll Road through Gary and found three freight trains in that short distance through town where CSX’s ex-B&O main line parallels the highway–none
Went to the VA hospital here in DC and helped with the dinner. I’m usually a customer there and volunteered for the first time, Always liked the way they’d say “Good Morninig Vets!!” at 5:00am, wake you up for vital signs/meds and let you go to sleep, wash,or bitch until breakfast. I was surprised by the many (and I’ve nearly been there mysel) homeless and shelter people.
Thanksgiving was pretty quiet here in Brookland, DC, but CSX sent a big rack attack eastward Friday, to Jessup, I guess Where is the Russian grain going? Lot’s of mine/ receiver loader coal with one train going and one returning. Like a clock.
Wonder who’s buying all these cars? I’d wait for spring 1965 and buy a Brit racing green MGB convertible. No, in '65 I had to settle for a Honda 50 and it was a lot of FunFunFun.
Took US 30 from Cedar Rapids, IA to Aurora, IL to see the inlaws on Wednesday and did not see a single moving train on the UP Overland Route between CR and Rock Falls, IL, which is about 90+ miles apart. I thought that was rather rare, even around the holidays. However, I did see a BNSF pig train at Big Rock , IL.
Had much better luck driving home along the same route on Saturday. One BNSF mixed freight near Hinckley, IL and four UP trains; 3 coal and 1 stack.