This morning (6-9-14), Brian Plant forwarded to me 26 fabulous pictures he took over this past weekend of operations on the Canadian National's Bessemer Subdivision in stunning light. His images were, as always, terrific photographs. I thought I'd forward along these three, in particular, since the full email has a really big attachment file and I am partial to former B&LE EMD SD38AC #866 in the lead.
The first view of the ore train coming out of Conneaut Harbor, on the north coast of Ohio in Ashtabula County, shows 11,000 horsepower ganging up on a southbound unit train of Minnesota taconite pellets for the U.S. Steel Edgar Thomson Works at Irvin, PA. The train was snaking up out of the Lake Erie Basin along Conneaut Creek and was about to pass beneath the U.S. Route 20 viaduct.
The second shot shows the 866, earlier, a little further north, as it exited the arches beneath the CSX Transportation Boston-St. Louis main line. The slack water where Conneaut Creek is stilled by reaching the level of Lake Erie at Conneaut Harbor calmly reflects the vibrant orange paint of the EMD as it begins the southward journey.
I saved what I think is the best for last. If you've ever wondered what an ore train doing IndyCar speed would look like, I think this dramatic pan shot gives a pretty good clue! With its Gyralite beneath the horns hanging prominently out over the nose, as if to point the way, 866 flashes through KO, past a foreground blur of wild mustard and background trees. The train will soon roll out over the long Osgood Viaduct and climb up the grade toward Kelsey. This is just one of the coolest shots from along The Bessemer Route that I've seen!
