A Day in the Valley
July 15, 2006
(click on each image to see a larger version -- approx 1024X768)
| I met up with Nathan before breakfast in Staunton and we decided to work our way South toward Roanoke catching the Northbounds as they come up. | |
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| Our first catch on this foggy morning was 38Q at a place called Vesuvius. Here the line changes to double track for the short distance to a place called Pkin (pronounced P-Kin). | |
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| Next it was on to Natural Bridge Station where the NS crosses over the CSX and the scenic James River. | |
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By mid-morning the fog was gone and the sky was clearing. We next caught 16T at a place called Ellis Run. |
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The skinny guy in the shot is Nathan. The train is 94W, a work train we caught at Cloverdale just before noon. Nathan conversed with the crews on the ground and got a rough idea of their work schedule which included stops at Beuna Vista and Glasgow. We decided to head back North to catch them in action. |
| Our plan didn't work out so we grabbed lunch and headed to a place called Arcadia (near another spot aptly named Solitude).Here we caught 94W on it's return South in mid-afternoon. |  |
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We waited at Arcadia because we knew two more trains were approaching and they were to meet here.
Half an hour later the first pulled into view and stopped short so as not to foul the farm crossing. This was 15T and not only did it have colorful power in the lead, it had over 9000 feet of train -- longer than most passing sidings and a bit challenging for the dispatcher! |
| From the other direction came 202, a hotshot container train that usually is no shorty either -- it just barely fit into the 6000 foot siding here. | |
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| 202 did fit, and 15T was cleared to head on its journey South. |  |
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We finished our day with just enough daylight left for photography at Elkton, again seeing 202 going North. |
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