Trackside Log for Friday, August 4, 2006

Vacation 2006 Day Seven

I truly chose an excellent week for this trip. The morning was another bright, sunny and hot one. My first goal was to find the Georgia Woodlands in Washington, GA. When I arrived I found that the day's run to the CSX was under way. I didn't need to chase long before I could smell diesel exhaust.

• 0910 EDT Ficklin, GA - Georgia Woodlands southbound - OMLX 4433
• 0932 EDT Sharon, GA - Georgia Woodlands southbound - OMLX 4433

After waiting for 4433 to lift its train from the interchange in Barnett I photographed the northbound.

• 1016 EDT Barnett, GA - Georgia Woodlands northbound - OMLX 4433
• 1116 EDT Little River trestle, GA - Georgia Woodlands northbound - OMLX 4433

After sweating profusely while waiting for the northbound at the Little River I was happy to be in my air conditioned truck headed for the Hartwell Railroad.

• 1330 EDT Airline, GA - Hartwell Railroad power - HRT 4556
• 1331 EDT Airline, GA - Hartwell Railroad power - HRT 3021

With the Hartwell Railroad behind me so too was the state of Georgia. I was headed for South Carolina and the Pickens Railroad.

• 1505 EDT Gluck (Anderson), SC - Pickens Railroad power - PICK 9504-PICK 9500

Next up was the Pickens shops in Pickens, South Carolina.

• 1616 EDT Pickens, SC - Pickens Railroad shops - RMGX 5046
• 1617 EDT Pickens, SC - Pickens Railroad shops - CLCX 5118 parts
• 1619 EDT Pickens, SC - Pickens Railroad shops - YDC 3
• 1626 EDT Pickens, SC - Pickens Railroad shops - stripped frame #5321-B-59 (ex-GORX 8314; ex-ICG GP10 8314; nee UP GP9B 188B)
• 1627 EDT Pickens, SC - Pickens Railroad shops - CLCX 5119 parts
• 1628 EDT Pickens, SC - Pickens Railroad shops - PICK 2

I had fun with the variety of derelict equipment and looked forward to the Pickens' facility in Honea Path.

• 1813 EDT Dosheno (Honea Path), SC - Pickens Railroad power - CSXT 9501
• 1813 EDT Dosheno (Honea Path), SC - Pickens Railroad power - PICK 9503
• 1815 EDT Dosheno (Honea Path), SC - Pickens Railroad power - PICK 9507
• 1817 EDT Dosheno (Honea Path), SC - Pickens Railroad power - PICK 6

The day turned out very nicely. The next day would begin with the Carolina Piedmont so I drove to Laurens, South Carolina for the night.

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.

Trackside Log for Wednesday, August 2, 2006

Vacation 2006 Day Five

It was looking like another beautiful but hot day. I headed out looking for railway action in Georgia and Florida. First up were two Norfolk Southern switch jobs in Albany, Georgia. I just happened to find their yard while driving through.

• 0855 EDT Albany, GA - NS switcher - NS 5007-NS 1622-NS 7014
• 0859 EDT Albany, GA - NS switcher - NS 5330-NS 2863

Next I drove north to Cordele to see if the Heart of Georgia was working in town. As luck would have it I heard them blowing their horn as I got to the tracks.

• 1028 EDT Cordele, GA - HOG eastbound - HOG 1540-RMPX 6409
• 1035 EDT Cordele, GA - HOG power - LLPX 3109
• 1042 EDT Cordele, GA - HOG eastbound - HOG 1540-RMPX 6409

I started my journey south toward Florida. On my way I found CSX switching an industry in Valdosta, Georgia.

• 1246 EDT Valdosta, GA - CSX switcher - CSXT 5841-CSXT 6116

I continued on to Trenton, Florida to find abandoned tracks as expected. Then I followed the line to Newberry where I found a Florida Central CF7.

• 1520 EDT Newberry, FL - Florida Cental power - FCEN 47

My next destination was Wildwood, Florida where I was very pleased to find a GP30M and S2m.

• 1700 EDT Wildwood, FL - Conrad Yelvington power - CYDZ 239-CYXX 2108

The day was getting on so I turned north. I stopped at the Days Inn in St. Augustine, Florida for the night.

Trackside Log for Monday, July 31, 2006

Vacation 2006 Day Three

I headed out into the fog for the morning with the promise of sun. A variety of shortlines were on my route for the day and the first opportunity for photographs was the Tennessee Southern. I got lucky and arrived just as the crew was lifting their train and after the fog lifted.

• 0802 CDT Mount Pleasant, TN - Tennessee Southern northbound - CSXT 3163-CSXT 3170-CSXT 3148

I continued eastward in search of the Walking Horse & Eastern. On my way through Shelbyville I noticed that the track was packed with TTX piggyback flats.

• 1009 CDT Shelbyville, TN - Walking Horse & Eastern power - WHOE 1585

I followed the line to the junction with CSX in Wartrace.

• 1030 CDT Wartrace, TN - L&N caboose 6162

The Louisville & Nashville caboose was the only item of interest so my journey continued.

• 1136 CDT McMinnville, TN - Caney Fork & Western power - CFW 2345
• 1258 CDT South Pittsburg, TN - Sequatchie Valley power - SQVR 9833
• 1259 CDT South Pittsburg, TN - Sequatchie Valley caboose

While photographing the slug I heard a locomotive horn. The Sequatchie Valley was returning. The timing was perfect.

• 1305 CDT South Pittsburg, TN - Sequatchie Valley northbound - SQVR 1210
• 1544 EDT La Fayette, GA - Chattooga & Chicamauga power - CAGY 102

While looking for the Eastern Alabama in Sylacauga I noticed freight moving in front of me. Presto! I was shocked to see two New England Central GP40's though.

• 1857 CDT Sylacauga, AL - Eastern Alabama power - AGR 4005
• 1859 CDT Sylacauga, AL - Eastern Alabama westbound - NECR 4048-NECR 4049

It was getting dark so I drove to the Best Western in Hope Hill, Alabama for the night.