CSX Coal Ashland, VA

Hello,

I have footage of a SB CSX Coal Train through Ashland VA but I am struggling to identify its train number (I never could hear it on the scanner). It runs with CSX Bethgon hoppers, and is a mix of CSX and old ex-conrail browns. So its not one that dumps out of the bottom if that helps narrow it down. The train also did not have an engine on either end so I know its not the one to Sealston, VA. The train ran with 80 cars and it appeared they were all empties. It was powered by two back to back ES44ACs. If anyone has any range of numbers or any guesses as to what it is, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for your time,

Davis

CSX operates a number of coal trains on the RF&P Sub through Ashland.

There are several that operate to Newport News for dumping for export as was a several that operate to a number of power plants in the South. The normal flow is loads moving South and Empties moving North.

The Sealston loaded train will have a manned engine at each end of the train to minimize the time required to get the train on the Dahlgren Branch at Fredericksburg. The Sealston empties will have both engines on the lead end on their trip on the RF&P main from Fredericksburg to Doswell where the empty are operated over the former C&O back to the coal fields. The Sealston empties may operate back into ACCA when the facilities at Doswell are blocked out by other traffic, this is only occurs as a last resort.

Thanks for the info. I can say from the angle I caught it at, it was very hard to tell if there were loads or not. If there were loads they definitely didn't protrude too high, leading me to believe they were SB empties, but I could be wrong. No DPUs in use on this one so definitely not a train serving Sealston. I believe I heard it call out as something like U703, which seems to fit to me. U for the unit coal, and the 3 being odd coincides with it travelling South but I could be dead wrong. Is there a U703 that runs? It was definitely not U307 because that uses those new hoppers that unload from bottom chutes, mine had bethgons.

Davis

I have yet to upload my video because I am way behind on my uploads but my friend who I met there has already uploaded his video. Hopefully having a video of it can help identify it, he was unsure of the train number as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGzjp6l39K8


Davis

strench707 wrote:Thanks for the info. I can say from the angle I caught it at, it was very hard to tell if there were loads or not. If there were loads they definitely didn't protrude too high, leading me to believe they were SB empties, but I could be wrong. No DPUs in use on this one so definitely not a train serving Sealston. I believe I heard it call out as something like U703, which seems to fit to me. U for the unit coal, and the 3 being odd coincides with it travelling South but I could be dead wrong. Is there a U703 that runs? It was definitely not U307 because that uses those new hoppers that unload from bottom chutes, mine had bethgons.

Davis

CSX does not use DPU on the RF&P, in fact no DPU is used anwhere on the Baltimore Division. The two engines on the Sealston loaded trains are both manned by a engineer.

U703's are Cross, SC coal trains. The U703+date designation is assigned to the train at Brunswick, MD when the train is empty. It continues with that designation to the mine to get loaded, for the loaded trip to Cross, SC and for the empty trip back to Brunswick. The equipment will be inspected at Brunswick and then allocated to it's next loading.

When it comes to coal train designations, odd & even have no clue as to direction; the train designation only applies to the Mine-Destination pair. Coal destined Cross, SC may have several different train designations depending upon which mine loads the train.

Gotcha, so would you say that its likely that was the U703? Also if it was seen around four in the afternoon, I would assume it would have left Brunswick the same day. So since it was caught on August 7th it would be U307-07?

Sorry about all of the questions, still learning how everything works with these coal trains.

Thanks

Davis

Okay furhter research has confirmed that I saw U307, so I have that one down. I also saw the NB Sealston Loaded through Ashland, that one sounded like U147 but I couldn't hear that one hardly at all, so that was what I interpreted. Do these Sealston trains run in a particular set of numbers, that would help me narrow it down if their symbol was in a descript range.


Thanks!

Davis

strench707 wrote:Okay furhter research has confirmed that I saw U307, so I have that one down. I also saw the NB Sealston Loaded through Ashland, that one sounded like U147 but I couldn't hear that one hardly at all, so that was what I interpreted. Do these Sealston trains run in a particular set of numbers, that would help me narrow it down if their symbol was in a descript range.


Thanks!

Davis

The most recent Sealston trains have been U793 and U795's....they retain the same train designation for both their loaded and empty movements on the RF&P

Okay cool, U793 sounds pretty close, that must be it.

Thanks for sharing your expansive knowledge of the RF&P its really appreciated!

Davis