Trackside Log for Saturday, April 14, 2012

This morning I awoke to the sounds of R.J. Corman SD40-2s lifting an empty coal train out of Cresson. Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to get outside before they left town. But after getting dressed I headed to the viewing platform to see what trains would roll through Cresson before breakfast at The Station Inn.

• 0733 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 9943-NS 9774-NS 9872
  
• 0736 Cresson, PA - NS 534 east - NS 6742-NS 6721-NS 6735 w/ helper NS 6326-NS 6314
  
• 0746 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 2683-NS 9489
  

Next I noticed a westbound helper set approaching the switch to the maintenance facility. I walked a bit west to photograph its entrance.

• 0758 Cresson, PA - NS helper west - NS 6329-NS 6328
  
• 0814 Cresson, PA - NS helper west - NS 6323-NS 6303
  
• 0823 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 6726-NS 6720
  

Just before it was time for breakfast a group of five SD80MACs was preparing to leave the maintenance facility. They pulled up in front of The Station Inn for a photograph.

• 0825 Cresson, PA - NS light power - NS 7211-NS 7210-NS 7215-NS 7208-NS 7209
  

At that point I had photographed 15 of the 17 total SD80MACs on Norfolk Southern's roster. Only 7206 and 7216 eluded me.

After a fine breakfast at The Station Inn I decided to head west. Things had quieted down quite a bit and I found myself at Portage waiting for something to happen. Eventually a couple freights arrived.

• 1037 Portage, PA - NS westbound - NS 6719-NS 6729-NS 6717
  
• 1040 Portage, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9637-NS 6782-NS 6628-NS 8842 w/ helper NS 6324-NS 6320
  

It was still rather slow on the Pittsburgh Line so I decided to explore a bit. I wound up in Summerhill where I waited for a while but the only thing moving was an oriole. Of course, as soon as I got in my car to scout a new location the quintet of SD80MACs from the morning rolled by in front of me. Now it was joined by a pair of Dash-9s on the back. I decided it would be a nice time to head to Cassandra for a while. Hopefully traffic would pick up when I got there.

• 1139 Cassandra, PA - NS westbound - NS 6314-NS 6326-NS 6806-NS 9615
  
• 1144 Cassandra, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9803-NS 9763-NS 9291-NS 2684-NS 6613
  
• 1150 Cassandra, PA - NS westbound - NS 9785-NS 2744
  
• 1158 Cassandra, PA - NS helper west - NS 6321-NS 6325
  
• 1201 Cassandra, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9830-NS 9707-NS 9851
  
• 1229 Cassandra, PA - NS helper east - NS 6304-NS 6319
  
• 1252 Cassandra, PA - NS helper west - NS 6313-NS 6306
  
• 1319 Cassandra, PA - NS eastbound - NS 7638-NS 8911 w/ helper NS 6315-NS 6312-NS 6303-NS 6323
  
• 1328 Cassandra, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9453-NS 2720-NS 6795
  
• 1342 Cassandra, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9435-NS 8384-NS 9366
  
• 1426 Cassandra, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9204-NS 2749 w/ helper NS 6325-NS 6321-NS 6326-NS 6314
  
• 1440 Cassandra, PA - NS westbound - NS 9478-NS 2523-NS 9222
  
• 1445 Cassandra, PA - NS 10N east - NS 8403-NS 8768-NS 9004
  

After the eastbound passed by we heard an R.J. Corman train talking to the Norfolk Southern dispatcher. I headed over to Cresson to attempt a photograph of them coming in. Well, I was a bit late for that, but I managed to photograph them parked by the maintenance facility.

• 1537 Cresson, PA - R.J. Corman power - RJCP 7084-RJCP 7097
  
• 1549 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 9485-NS 9155-NS 9389
  
• 1603 Cresson, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9224-NS 7670
  

Now that it was starting to rain, I took the opportunity to relax on the patio of The Station Inn and watch the freight instead.

• 1610 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 9612-NS 9589
• 1650 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 7692-NS 2742

And of course the rain meant that the second half of the R.J. Corman coal train arrived at Cresson. I braved the drizzle for the quartet of red locomotives.

• 1700 Cresson, PA - R.J. Corman westbound - RJCP 7095-RJCP 7117-RJCP 3478-RJCP 8861
  
• 1706 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 7707-NS 8900 w/ helper NS 6312-NS 6315
• 1721 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 9967-NS 8942-NS 2710

After a quick bite to eat, and a few missed trains, I was back in my room (the Western Maryland room) looking out over the Norfolk Southern tracks.

• 1858 Cresson, PA - NS eastbound ethanol - NS 6328-NS 6329-NS 8420-NS 6746-NS 9954 w/ helper NS 6315-NS 6312
• 1937 Cresson, PA - NS helper east - NS 6306-NS 6313

At that point it was getting too dark to see. All in all, a rather productive day.