First P&W stone train - 3/10

It seems to be running Monday through Friday. I live across the street from the Merit 7 train station and it's been pretty consistent passing right around midnight give or take 10 minutes either way.

Well, I guess the issue with the Maybrook Line explains why the train's been leaving from New Haven around 10:25 PM. When it uses the Maybrook Line, it departs New Haven around 8:15-8:25.

yes, that was the 24th. and yes, i like to "write" with a little drama but they were shooting all kinds of sparks and embers up .which was partly suprising 'cos i thought ge might have gotten over that. i remember njt's u34ch's in hoboken flame-ing up out of the stack as a regular occourance. i think railfan&railroad had a photo contest for that sometime back in the early 90's. but those were u-series. do any of you engine savy people know what causes that? i hope to see them again this friday maybee. i heard they derailed the train up around stevenson a few weeks ago,thats why theyre running the d&n. tracks not that great on the lower maybrook.

Thanks guys, for all that input. It might just be worth staying out late some time just to pace one of these up the branch, since I have never done so before.

just a word of caution around wilton and ridgefield,don't speed.the police there are 'vigilant'.i've tried a few shots w/ flash w/ mixed results, but i've heard that some engineers get annoyed by flash cameras, so i try for ambient light. wilton sta. has pretty good light. unless you want to go the o winston link route and set up a generator w/ worklights. then going up the grade just above branchville has possibilities. another good spot is the 4 span just below georgetown on old mill rd.

Thank you for the advice. I know the territory intimately since I spent almost my whole life in Danbury until February 05 when we moved to NY City. I do appreciate the advice about the cops!!!

i'm on the cops side about that,people drive like morons around here.widening rt.7 and destroying the environment in the process will only make it worse. have you seen the work being done? while one might argue the money should have been spent to put the wire back up, i've read the threads from the pro's who operate this line against it. with regards to the stone train, it seems to move along at about 40 which is the speed limit. it slows down on the curve between seeley and honey hill, pics up again along oldmill, then slows down in the scenic valley below georgetown. if they have a clear block(scanner is handy) they open up again past the wiremill to run for the hill. i've always had a thing for this train, including the stone train conrail ran back in the late 80's when they were doing maintenance. they got by with a pair of u-23b's on each end with the same load, about 40 3 bay ortner rapid discharge "rock box'es". most of the p&w's are ex florida east coast.

I chased it again this past friday the 7th. A terrific thunder and lightning storm at the same time . My "cohort" chickened out. despite the wt rail, they were really hauling a$& , doing 50 through wilton. i ducked under at old mill rd. and went up around the back of the wire mill to see where they hide each time. by the time I got around, the lead engines were stopped just above the bridge behind the georgetown car dealership on 7. i guess at that point the end isn't blocking the other crossing. I wish I had my 'real' camera, they were there a good 10 minutes waiting for a clear block and the lightning made for some great effects. I chased it up the hill above branchville for a little, they were ACCELERATING up ,even on wet rail. You could really see that orange flashing coming out of the stacks. I went up through simpaug turnpike to the cidermill crossing, just catching the end units. by the time i got up to the overpass they were gone. the roads back there aren't that great for chasing, out of safety and respect for the neighbors.