NOGC And Norfolk Southern On Wednesday

by Jim on 2011/09/15

[“Freedom” puts Jimbaux’s faith in none of the above.]

There Was A Time . . .

This one will be brief, as it is late, I’m tired, and I’m really damned busy.

It’s A Lonely, Burning Question

My ’roundabout’ errands took me by Gouldsboro Yard once again this afternoon, and I arrived on the scene just in time to see the “through train” leaving the yard as the “local” was parked to the left.  Here’s the shot.

It was then time to chase him back to downtown Gretna to get some shots of him in the classic street-running on 4th Street.

How do you like that?  To me, it never gets old.  It’s a really cool scene, a neat operation indeed.  You’re looking right about milepost 2 or 3 on the Southern Pacific Railway’s Sunset Route.

Don’t you think it’s neat how that silver car, the train, and the water tower, are all colinear in the above shot?  I do!  This is the first time I ever shoot from this location.  From the looks of it, especially from the below shot, I need to get further toward the other end of the parking lot, especially to better render the train moving through that dogleg curve, but also to avoid those Subway signs below for my favorite, for obvious reasons, Subway restaurant on the planet.

Yuck.  I need to redeem myself here soon.  Anyway, here’s a going-away shot.

After this, I returned to Gouldsboro Yard (as I had to go back in that direction anyway) and shot the parked “local” train.

Yeah, you haven’t seen much of the switchers or GP7s here lately, have you?

The Train To Chattanooga

Since my morning spent foaming in Chattanooga back in July, I have gained a new appreciation for Norfolk Southern Railway train 130, a daily train from NS’s Oliver Yard in New Orleans to the massive DeButts Yard in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  This afternoon was the first time since my time in Chattanooga in July that I see the 130.  Here it is still building itself on the northern end of Oliver Yard, and, yes, my choice of words means that a road crew is indeed doing this work.

Do you see that overpass in the background?  That overpass will play a prominent role in my 9/11 series; so, you already have an idea of what some of the shoots will look like and where they were taken.

I have a question for you Chattanooga guys.  Does the 130 often have Union Pacific power when it arrives in Chattanooga?  About half the time it leaves New Orleans, it has UP power.  That’s because the front end of UP train QLINSL, including the locomotives, becomes NS train 130, even though the “L” at the end of the train name is for Linwood, North Carolina.  The middle block of the QLINSB, which this 130 crew had probably just set out, is a yard cut, but much of the rear of the train becomes part of NS train 172 to Linwood.

Must End This

I have plenty more to write, but little time or inclination to write it right now.  Can you believe that today I actually replied to about two or three e-mails?  Hey, I’m catching up!  So, this will have to be all for right now.  Thanks.

Jimbaux

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