Trackside Log for Thursday, August 3, 2006

Vacation 2006 Day Six

I awoke to another sunny morning and began by following the Florida East Coast between St. Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida. The hope was to find a train and a place to photograph it. Considering the railway runs next to U.S. 1 I managed to find a place to photograph the one train I found. The local police stopped to question me within moments but upon learning my purpose happily left me alone.

• 0846 EDT Villano Beach, FL - FEC southbound - FEC 438

I kept following the FEC but didn't find anything else. Next I was back in Georgia for the third time this trip. In Waycross I was very happy to find four ex-B.C. Rail GE locomotives along with a variety of other power.

• 1225 EDT Waycross, GA - storage - BDLX 8011-PRSX 3622-PRSX 3625-PRSX 3623-PRSX 3626-NREX 9424-RMPX 1411-NREX 7880
• 1237 EDT Waycross, GA - storage - NREX 8090 + more

Just west of Waycross is the St. Mary's West Railway.

• 1312 EDT Waresboro, GA - St. Mary's West switcher - SMW 1402

I was on my way north when I found myself at a CSX crossing. When I looked down the track I could see a southbound waiting in the siding. Upon chatting with the conductor I discovered that they were meeting a nothbound empty tank train with an intermodal behind them.

• 1350 EDT Dixie Union (Crawley), GA - CSX northbound - CSXT 4817-CSXT 4844
• 1352 EDT Dixie Union (Crawley), GA - CSX southbound - CSXT 7818-CSXT 4704
• 1412 EDT Dixie Union (Crawley), GA - CSX southbound - CSXT 5007-CSXT 686

When I arrived at the Georgia Central shops it was a stifling 40 degrees Celcius. Ouch! I obtained permission to photograph around the shops and took my photos. The RLIX and Valdosta engines were in for repairs.

• 1602 EDT Lyons, GA - Georgia Central shops - RLIX 278-VR 184
• 1603 EDT Lyons, GA - Georgia Central shops - GC 3938-GC 1004-GC 3946

My day was nearing an end so I found myself checking into the Best Western in Thomson, Georgia for the night.