Trackside Log for Monday, January 31, 2011

This morning I set off early from The Station Inn. I was surprised to see mostly clear sky above me. I headed back to Lilly in the shadow of the mountains to await the rising sun.

• 0751 Lilly, PA - NS 11V west - NS 8313-NS 8763 w/ helper NS 6321-NS 6310
  
• 0813 Lilly, PA - NS 14G east - NS 9274-NS 9743-NS 9568-NS 2102 w/ helper NS 6318-NS 6305
  
• 0820 Lilly, PA - NS 21Q west - NS 9649-NS 8924
• 0829 Lilly, PA - NS helper west - NS 6316-NS 6312
• 0836 Lilly, PA - NS helper west - NS 6900-NS 6319
  
• 0844 Lilly, PA - NS helper west - NS 6309-NS 6304
  
• 0935 Lilly, PA - Amtrak 44 east - AMTK 133
• 0937 Lilly, PA - NS 401 west - NS 9736-NS 9546
  
• 0950 Lilly, PA - NS 65J west - NS 2540-NS 2566-NS 9061-NS 2554
  
• 0959 Lilly, PA - NS helper west - NS 6306-NS 6332

Once again I was pining for a change of scenery. I had heard some SD80MAC activity to the west so I went to check out Portage. Upon arrival I discovered both a maintenance of way crew and an approaching coal train local.

• 1016 Portage, PA - NS C51 east - NS 7206-NS 7200 w/ helper NS 7209-NS 7208-NS 7205
  
• 1043 Portage, PA - NS O58 east - NS 6710-NS 9775
  
• 1057 Portage, PA - NS W6A east - NS 7517-NS 9047
  

By this time I figured the light would be nice at the lookout in Cassandra.

• 1142 Cassandra, PA - NS helper west - NS 6302-NS 6327
  
• 1205 Cassandra, PA - NS 537 west - NS 7689-NS 9923
  
• 1216 Cassandra, PA - NS 28Z west - NS 2570-NS 9577
  

Once again all the rail traffic dried up. Since I was planning to be home by 2000 I figured it was a good time to start back home. I turned north with DuBois as my first point of interest. Upon arrival I went to the Buffalo & Pittsburgh yard while listening to a train getting permission to Falls Creek then back to Riker Yard. My timing was excellent.

• 1447 DuBois, PA - BPRR northbound - BPRR 453-BPRR 461-BPRR 3301
  

By now the first clouds of what promised to be a heck of a snow storm were creeping across the sky. I continued north, following the Buffalo & Pittsburgh and found the yard job switching Johnsonburg. However, they weren't in an easily accessible area for photography so I moved on. I found nothing else for the remainder of the drive back to Canada.

My three day excursion to Cresson was really quite satisfying. It was both fruitful and relaxing, the primary objective.

Trackside Log for Sunday, January 30, 2011

This morning I rose to a mostly overcast sky at The Station Inn in Cresson, Pennsylvania. After Sandy made an excellent breakfast for some fellow guests from West Virginia and me I drove to Lilly to see what Norfolk Southern was up to. Minutes after arrival I could hear a helper set on the scanner leaving Cresson and heading west.

• 0933 Lilly, PA - NS helper west - NS 6300-NS 6322
  
• 1006 Lilly, PA - NS 227 west - NS 2642-NS 9366
  
• 1025 Lilly, PA - NS helper west - NS 6316-NS 6312
  
• 1058 Lilly, PA - NS 14G east - NS 2709-NS 9001-NS 2763 w/ helper NS 6322-NS 6300
  
• 1104 Lilly, PA - NS 26T east - NS 9410-NS 8998-NS 9948

That last train snuck up on me. I drove out ahead to the Highway 53 overpass where I was able to see train 14G again and was startled by a westbound intermodal.

• 1114 Cresson, PA - NS 14G east - NS 2709-NS 9001-NS 2763 w/ helper NS 6322-NS 6300
  
• 1118 Cresson, PA - NS 21G west - NS 9156-NS 9622 w/ helper NS 6307-NS 6328
  

Train 26T stopped in Cresson to add a helper set onto the head end for extra dynamic braking. I took the opportunity to drive to Gallitzin to see it.

• 1203 Gallitzin, PA - NS 26T east - NS 6328-NS 6307-NS 9410-NS 8998-NS 9948
  
• 1249 Gallitzin, PA - NS 19G west - NS 8307-NS 9573 w/ helper NS 6305-NS 6318
  

Having accomplished my westbound photograph at Gallitzin, and not wanting to miss trains on track one, I headed back to Lilly again.

• 1312 Lilly, PA - NS 22W east - NS 9639-NS 9836
  
• 1316 Lilly, PA - NS westbound light power - NS 9329-NS 7213-NS 9190-NS 8369-NS 7205-NS 7208
  
• 1327 Lilly, PA - NS 10G east - NS 9438-NS 9327-NS 6671-NS 9714-NS 2616-NS 7682 w/ helper NS 6312-NS 6316
  
• 1342 Lilly, PA - NS 18G east - NS 9575-NS 9426
  
• 1346 Lilly, PA - NS 17G west - NS 9568-NS 9294-NS 9035
  
• 1401 Lilly, PA - NS 591 west - NS 9857-NS 9282
  

An approaching eastbound helper set stopped suddenly at the signals for some reason. Just then the West Virginia boys pulled up. After a short pause NS 6318 resumed its eastward trek.

• 1407 Lilly, PA - NS helper east - NS 6318-NS 6305
  
• 1437 Lilly, PA - NS 20Q east - NS 9499-NS 2615-NS 2733
  

Train traffic subsided somewhat so I took the opportunity to make a change of scenery. Naturally, as I departed, a westbound intermodal blew through town. I continued back to Cresson.

• 1511 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 2693-NS 9844-NS 9645
  
• 1531 Cresson, PA - Amtrak 44 east - AMTK 159
  
• 1535 Cresson, PA - NS 24Z east - NS 9130-NS 8787
  
• 1612 Cresson, PA - NS 21M west - NS 2562-NS 9345-NS 9867-NS 9853
  
• 1628 Cresson, PA - NS 20R east - NS 9911-NS 9971
  
• 1631 Cresson, PA - NS 23M west - NS 9838-NS 8860
  

The light was waning quickly now so I decided to take a pass by the engine facility to see what was there before the light was gone.

• 1700 Cresson, PA - NS helper power - NS 6329-NS 6311
  
• 1700 Cresson, PA - NS helper power - NS 6327-NS 6302

While there I heard another helper set heading west to assist a coal train.

• 1709 Cresson, PA - NS helper west - NS 6320-NS 6330

And then everything went quiet. I determined that would be the end of the photography so I returned to The Station Inn for the evening. While sitting in the common room I watched some of the activity although it was getting rather dark.

• 1742 Cresson, PA - Amtrak 43 west - AMTK 133
• 1753 Cresson, PA - NS 13G west - NS 9719-NS 9367

After train 13G passed I was invited to supper with another guest from Kentucky. After a nice meal at the Cresson Springs Family Restaurant we returned to the inn.

• 2030 Cresson, PA - NS 852 east - NS 9557-NS 8397 w/ helper NS 6310-NS 6321-NS 6318-NS 6305
• 2033 Cresson, PA - NS eastbound - NS 3344-NS 3343-NS 3352-NS xxxx
• 2113 Cresson, PA - NS 24M east - NS 9494-NS 8367-NS 7501

After a while I called it a night and merely listened to the passing trains in the dark. I'd wait to see what Norfolk Southern would run the following day.

Trackside Log for Saturday, January 29, 2011

The previous day was my final day working for Canadian Tire Financial Services. As a break before my new career as an insurance agent I decided to visit Cresson, Pennsylvania for a few days. I left home at approximately 0700 and drove south. When I arrived at Salamanca, New York I noticed some freight parked with an SBU attached. A Buffalo & Pittsburgh train was parked near the old Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh station.

• 0957 Salamanca, NY - BPRR SIJB south - BPRR 454-OHCR 4602-BPRR 458-GECX 2012-GECX 90-CSXT 685
  

As I photographed the train a crew began work. I scouted ahead to find a good location for another picture. I chose a spot where the former Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh crossed over the former Erie. Then I waited. I could hear the crew switching in Salamanca but didn't expect them to take an hour.

• 1109 Carrollton, NY - BPRR SIJB south - BPRR 454-OHCR 4602-BPRR 458
  

Evidently part of the delay was due to the GE test engine, engineering car and CSX AC6000 getting set off in Salamanca. However, with the photograph committed to ones and zeros I moved on to the Western New York and Pennsylvania in Olean. While waiting for the Buffalo & Pittsburgh I was listening to the WNYP work. I guessed (and hoped) it was the train to Driftwood. When I got to Olean only a C-430 was outside.

• 1128 Olean, NY - WNYP power - WNYP 430
  

Then I turned south to follow the former Pennsylvania Railroad's Buffalo Line. At the first crossing I encountered I noticed the snow had been cleared from the flangeways. Excellent! The DFT was out there somewhere. Eventually, after some very snowy driving conditions, I found them at Driftwood. I first managed to take a photograph at North Driftwood as they ran light to make their lift.

• 1334 North Driftwood, PA - WNYP DFT north - WNYP 637-WNYP 631-WNYP 630
  

I wanted a picture of them actually pulling some freight so I scouted up the track until I found a photogenic view at South Emporium. Then it was the waiting game all over again.

• 1437 South Emporium, PA - WNYP DFT north - WNYP 637-WNYP 631-WNYP 630
  

The day was getting on so I turned back around toward Lock Haven again. There was some parked motive power in the yard but the weather and their location weren't conducive to photography. Thus I continued onward to Cresson and The Station Inn for the evening. Considering I had never been able to photograph either the Buffalo & Pittsburgh freight or the Western New York and Pennsylvania DFT before, this was a good day out.

Trackside Log for Wednesday, January 19, 2011

After a rather warm day today was cold and the snow was very crunchy. It made for an interesting walk with Missy. Just as we were getting back home I heard a southbound approaching. I got my camera and sprinted to the back of my property in time to photograph Canadian Pacific train 246 south.

• 0923 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 9675-CP 9559
  

Missy and I then trundled back through the snow and to the warm indoors so I could get ready for work.