Trackside Log for Sunday, August 15, 2010

Today Marcus met me at my house and we headed toward New York for a day out along the rails. After a smooth border crossing at the Peace Bridge we made our first stop at Sturgeon Point Road in Angola, New York. No sooner had we arrived when we heard horns approaching from the west.

• 0957 Angola, NY - CSX eastbound - CSXT 7626
  
• 1015 Angola, NY - CSX Q377 west - BNSF 798-SOO 6026
  
• 1015 Angola, NY - CSX eastbound - CSXT 5242-CSXT 4831
  

After the quick trio of trains we continued west until we noticed a coal train parked at Dunkirk.

• 1057 Dunkirk, NY - CSX westbound -UP 5918-UP 5940
  

After a few photographs we continued on to Westfield and the railfan park there. When we pulled around the corner we could see a CSX westbound with a BNSF lead engine parked just down the track. We quickly determined the train was waiting for some eastbounds because track one was out of service.

• 1140 Westfield, NY - CSX eastbound - CSXT 680-CSXT 684
  
• 1201 Westfield, NY - CSX eastbound - CSXT 7720-CSXT 8447
  

While waiting for the next eastbound Marcus and I took a couple telephoto pictures of the parked train.

• 1212 Westfield, NY - CSX westbound - BNSF 4137-CSXT 333-CSXT 7682
  

After which the last eastbound arrived and our westbound was able to leave.

• 1219 Westfield, NY - CSX eastbound - CSXT 5276-CSXT 7646
  
• 1225 Westfield, NY - CSX westbound - BNSF 4137-CSXT 333-CSXT 7682
  
• 1241 Westfield, NY - CSX westbound - CSXT 5229-CSXT 8703
  

Things appeared to quiet down a little so we continued west. At Ripley, New York we discovered another parked westbound. This was in part the reason for the single track running of the Buffalo Line. We later discovered that track work was under way on the same track in North East, Pennsylvania.

• 1303 Ripley, NY - CSX westbound (parked) - CSXT 7351-CSXT 8533-BNSF 6144-BNSF 5929
  

While photographing the parked train the westbound Q377 we photographed at Angola caught up with us.

• 1313 Ripley, NY - CSX Q377 west - BNSF 798-SOO 6026
  

It wasn't moving very quickly so we pursued it to Bort Road in North East for another photograph.

• 1329 North East, PA - CSX Q377 west - BNSF 798-SOO 6026
  

Here the train slowed even more so we decided to attempt a photograph at the former New York Central station in North East before getting lunch. We made it with plenty of time to spare.

• 1339 North East, PA - CSX Q377 west - BNSF 798-SOO 6026
  

After picking up lunch from Subway we drove back to Bort Road to eat and wait for more action including the first Norfolk Southern train of the day. Photographs of Norfolk Southern at Bort Road are fabulous now that the telegraph poles have been removed.

• 1420 North East, PA - CSX westbound - CSXT 7755-CSXT 307
  
• 1442 North East, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9816-NS 2502-NS 9614
  
• 1442 North East, PA - CSX westbound - CSXT 678-CSXT 676
  
• 1446 North East, PA - CSX westbound - CSXT 7351-CSXT 8533-BNSF 6144-BNSF 5929

Our parked train from Ripley snuck by behind the CSX intermodal train so we attempted to drive ahead of it again. Unfortunately it parked once again and never made it to us again. However, we managed to see another few trains at Smedley Street.

• 1514 North East, PA - CSX westbound - CSXT 556-CSXT 5248
  
• 1522 North East, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9588-NS 6663-NS 7669
• 1552 North East, PA - NS 309 west - UP 3960
  

The day was getting on so we started to head back east again. As we were heading down Route 20 we found another parked westbound train at Station Road in State Line, New York.

• 1613 State Line, NY - CSX westbound - CSXT 4765-CSXT 4814
  
• 1621 State Line, NY - CSX eastbound - CSXT 8204-CSXT 7616

After an eastbound arrived we travelled east back into Ripley to discover still another parked westbound.

• 1634 Ripley, NY - CSX westbound - CSXT 5387-CSXT 5342-CSXT 5435
  

Continuing on we ducked back over to the railfan park in Westfield to see if anything else might be parked there. There wasn't but there was an eastbound arriving.

• 1650 Westfield, NY - CSX eastbound - BNSF 5108-BNSF 743-CSXT 832

Unfortunately the train was directly back-lit so I just watched it pass by. As we drove through Dunkirk again we noticed that the gates to the NRG hydro generating plant were open. As luck would have it the two UP AC4400s we photographed earlier were now pushing coal hoppers into the plant. We stopped to photograph the action at Brooks Avenue.

• 1731 Dunkirk, NY - NRG switcher - UP 5918-UP 5940
  

Our final stop of the day was in Blasdell, New York. As we drove over the CSX tracks we could see that nothing was pending. We continued over to the Norfolk Southern and noticed a signal for an eastbound. As we turned parked to get into position for a photograph train 310 arrived.

• 1825 Blasdell, NY - NS 310 east - NS 9412-NS 8948-NS 3818
  

We then returned to CSX to wait for any activity that may have arisen. Apparently that was going to be the day's lull time. Nothing showed up for over a half hour so Marcus and I called it a day. We headed back into Ontario. Other than the stifling heat and humidity I had no complaints. It was a very productive day.