Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Between trips to the yard waste facility...

(Train sightings on 6-18-11.)

...I managed to get some quality time in trackside to take advantage of Saturday's sun. After pitch forking out the first load of pruned tree limbs at the yard waste facility, it was off to Three Bridges to hopefully photograph CP 38T. I had heard that today's motive power would be a CP and two Iowa Chicago & Eastern lash up. At Three Bridges, a headlight appeared shortly after my arrival off in the distance. Could this be 38T? That question would soon be "Nahhh...!" It was NS 212 with a freshly repainted NS 2573 (ex-CR 2573; SD 70), NS 9422 and NS 6651. 


At 10:52 another headlight would appear. This train was an NS intermodal with NS 9177 as its leader. With that train's passage, I decided time to head up and take another load of branches to the facility.



After dumping this second load of limbs, I decided to see what, if anything, was running at the Waterworks grade crossing in Bridgewater. Looking west from the grade crossing, MA80 was holding in Manville yard waiting to head east with its consist of coil cars. Off in the distance, I spotted the elusive 38T holding on the LEHL. Hmmm... that must mean something must be coming off the Trenton Line. Shortly thereafter, CSX 702, with CSX 846 and CSX 7340, would bring its consist of empty trash containers east over the LEHL. 


Once 702 had cleared, 38T was given permission to proceed east with its consist of eight empty hopper cars behind three SD40-2s. Motive power on 38T was CP 5908, IC&E 6446, dubbed the "City of McGregor" and IC&E 6214 still wearing faded CP colors.



All in all, a very productive day for me in which I was able to accomplish two objectives, trim back some trees and dispose of the pruned limbs along with getting trackside. Missions accomplished...